PALAT POTS OVERTIME WINNER AS TAMPA BAY EVENS SECOND ROUND SERIES . . .
Blake Coleman (2-0—2) scored a go-ahead goal after the Lightning overcame deficits of 1-0 and 2-1, but Brad Marchand (2-0—2) tied the contest with 3:58 remaining in regulation to send Game 2 to overtime. Ondrej Palat then potted the winner less than five minutes into the extra frame as Tampa Bay pulled even in its Second Round series.

* The Lightning improved to 18-8 in 26 all-time Stanley Cup Playoffs games that have required overtime (.692 W%), including a 3-0 mark in 2020. Their .692 win percentage in Stanley Cup Playoffs contests that have required overtime is the highest among all franchises in NHL history.

* Tampa Bay has earned each of its seven wins this postseason by a one-goal margin. The Lightning became the third team in NHL history to earn each of their first seven-plus wins in a postseason all by a one-goal margin, joining the Mighty Ducks in 2003 (9) and Rangers in 2015 (9).

* Andrei Vasilevskiy (22 saves) improved to 22-18 in 43 career postseason appearances (2.64 GAA, .914 SV%). He moved past Nikolai Khabibulin and Ben Bishop (both w/ 21) for sole possession of the most in franchise history.

. . . LIGHTNING, BRUINS SET TO RENEW ACQUAINTANCES TONIGHT
Either the Lightning or Bruins will take a 2-1 lead in their Second Round series when they contest Game 3 tonight in the second half of their back-to-back set.

* When a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 holds an all-time series record of 218-107 (67.1%). That includes a 3-1 mark in 2020.



PETTERSSON, TOFFOLI AND HORVAT LEAD CANUCKS TO GAME 2 WIN
Elias Pettersson and Tyler Toffoli, who made his return to the Canucks lineup, each registered 1-2—3 and Bo Horvat tallied twice as Vancouver rebounded from a 5-0 loss in Game 1 to even its Second Round series.



* Pettersson recorded his first career three-point game in the postseason and boosted his totals to 5-11—16 since Aug. 1 (12 GP), trailing only Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon (7-11—18 in 10 GP) for the League lead. He has six multi-point games this month – only three players in franchise history have posted more in a postseason: Thomas Gradin in 1982, Trevor Linden in 1994 and Henrik Sedin in 2011 (all w/ 7).

* Toffoli, who played for the first time since Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, has averaged over a point per game since being acquired by the Canucks at the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline (7-6—13 in 12 GP; 1.08 P/GP).

* Horvat scored his seventh and eighth goals this postseason (8-2—10 in 12 GP) to leapfrog MacKinnon and Stars forward Joe Pavelski (7-2—9 in 11 GP) for sole possession of the League lead. Only seven players in franchise history have recorded more in a playoff year.

QUICK CLICKS

* NHL announces start time for Stanley Cup Playoff game on Aug. 30
* NHL announces return of 'Quest for the Stanley Cup'

* Kasperi Kapanen traded to Penguins from Maple Leafs as part of six-player deal

* John Tortorella fined for actions after Blue Jackets Game 5 loss to Lightning
* Semyon Varlamov can set Islanders playoff shutout record in Game 2 vs. Flyers

PREVIEW OF TODAY’S ACTION
Four other teams are in action today in addition to the Lightning and Bruins.

* Teams that own a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs series hold an all-time series record of 192-4 (.979), including a 2-0 mark in 2020.

* Teams that own a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series hold an all-time series record of 328-51 (.865), including a 4-0 mark in 2020.

VARLAMOV, HART TO DUEL AGAIN IN GAME 2 OF ISLANDERS-FLYERS SERIES

Two of the top-performing goaltenders of the 2020 postseason will go head-to-head again in Game 2 of the Second Round series between the Islanders and Flyers. Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who ranks tied for first among all goaltenders with a .941 save percentage in the postseason (min. 5 GP), stopped all 29 shots he faced to earn a Game 1 victory. Hart, who made 25 saves in the series opener, ranks third with a .938 save percentage.

* Varlamov has earned a shutout in each of his last two games and enters Game 2 with an active shutout sequence of 136:30 to sit 40 seconds shy of establishing the franchise playoff record for longest shutout streak by a goaltender. Billy Smith currently holds the mark of 136:59, achieved in 1980. An Islanders goaltender has never recorded three consecutive shutouts (regular season or playoffs).

* The Flyers rebounded from their last shutout defeat with a shutout victory of their own when Carter Hart posted the first of back-to-back shutouts in Game 3 of the First Round against Montreal. Only two teams in NHL history have been shut out in one game and then earned a shutout in the following game multiple times in a single postseason: the Rangers did so in 1997, followed by the Lightning in 2004.

STREAKING STARS AIM TO GO UP 3-0, AVALANCHE LOOK TO REBOUND
The Stars enter Game 3 of their Second Round series with a 2-0 series lead and five consecutive wins overall. If Dallas extends its winning streak to six contests, it would match the longest postseason winning streak in franchise history accomplished twice previously and most recently in 1999 en route to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. Colorado hasn’t dropped three consecutive playoff games in 10 years – they last did so in Games 4-6 of the 2010 Conference Quarterfinals against San Jose.

* Miro Heiskanen ranks third in the NHL with 14 points this postseason (3-11—14 in 11 GP). He needs one assist/point to match the franchise records for most by a defenseman in a single postseason. It has been 12 years since a Stars player of any position recorded at least 12 assists in a single postseason - Mike Ribeiro (14) and Brad Richards (12) each did so over the course of 18 games in 2008.

* The Avalanche boast an impressive young defenseman of their own in rookie Cale Makar (2-6—8 in 10 GP). Makar, who made his postseason debut in 2019, has recorded 3-11—14 in 20 GP across two postseasons with rookie eligibility. Only three rookie defensemen have posted more playoff points than Makar: Chris Chelios (3-17—20 in 24 GP), Larry Goodenough (3-15—18 in 21 GP) and Torey Krug (6-10—16 in 27 GP).

Thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above.