EDMONTON, Alberta -- Nikita Kucherov scored with 8.8 seconds left to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night and a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference final.
Kucherov beat Russian countryman Semyon Varlamov after a perfect pass from Ryan McDonagh, preventing the Lightning from going into another overtime game with a depleted forward group.
Leading scorer Brayden Point was injured late in the first period, and Tampa Bay also was without Alex Killorn much of the game after he was ejected for a hit from behind.