STEVEN STAMKOS

The Florida Panthers are on the brink of getting swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Steven Stamkos scored two goals and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 to move to the brink of another trip to the Eastern Conference final.

Ross Colton scored twice, Andrei Vasilevskiy had 22 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning got off to a fast start and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 in Game 4 to even their first-round playoff series.

President Joe Biden avoided politics in honoring the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the Stanley Cup in each of the past two seasons.

The Tampa Bay Lightning haven't been through struggles like this in many years.

Mikhail Sergachev scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period on a power play and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.

Steven Stamkos had a goal and two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 to spoil the first outdoor game in Music City.

Most of the world’s best hockey players are spending this weekend in Las Vegas instead of the Olympic village in Beijing.

Anthony Duclair scored twice, Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and four assists, and the Florida Panthers romped to a 9-3 rout of the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.

Having seven teams based in Canada complicates the NHL's path through the pandemic.

The NHL is set to resume Tuesday with three games on the schedule after an extended holiday break.

The NHL has announced that players won't be able to participate in the Beijing Olympics.

Steven Stamkos scored the tiebreaking goal on a third-period power play and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in the final NHL game before an extended holiday break.

Dylan Larkin will not play in Saturday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

The NHL has suspended Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin for a game for roughing Tampa Bay forward Mathieu Joseph.

Ondrej Palat scored with 2:17 left in overtime, lifting the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 7-6 comeback victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

Ondrej Palat scored with 2:17 left in overtime, lifting the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 7-6 comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

After a rather short offseason, the National Hockey League returns on Tuesday night, with the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions kicking things off, as the Tampa Bay Lightning get set to host the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Lightning are the second team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the beginning of the salary cap era in 2005. The only other team to win back-to-back Cups in the last 15 years was the Pittsburgh Penguins, when they achieved the feat during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. What: NHL HockeyWho: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay LightningWhen: Tuesday, October 12Time: 7:30 p.m. ETWhere: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Fla.)Channel: ESPNStream: FuboTV (7-day free trial), Sling, DirecTV Stream, ESPN+Check out the NHL standings and results here

The NHL ended its 16-year partnership with NBC after Game 5 of the 2021 Stanley Cup.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season.

The Stanley Cup Finals are underway, and the Tampa Bay Lightning made a statement in their game one victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. Erik Cernak deflected an Ondrej Palat pass to break the ice just over five minutes in, before Yanni Goure added another for Tampa Bay early in the second period. Watch the Stanley Cup Finals on FuboTV (7-day free trial)In the final frame, the Lightning shutdown the Canadiens’ offense, only allowing one shot through the first 10 minutes of the period. In their semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal lost game one, 4-1, before bouncing back with a win in the next meeting. What: Stanley Cup FinalsWho: (4) Montreal Canadiens vs. (2) Tampa Bay Lightning (Game 1)When: Monday, June 28Time: 8:00 p.m.

Playoff scoring leader Nikita Kucherov had two goals and an assist and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 18 saves to outplay Carey Price and lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Montreal Canadiens have finally earned respect during a remarkable playoff run that has them in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 28 years.

The Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t lost consecutive postseason games in over two years and haven’t faced a winner-take-all challenge since 2018.

The series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders has certainly been entertaining, in just about every facet. On Wednesday night, the Lightning have a chance to go back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second year in a row. Stamkos scored his second of the game, followed by quick tallies from Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn making it 6-0 after 40 minutes. Brayden Point and Luke Schenn added goals to put the icing on the cake in the final frame for Tampa. What: Stanley Cup SemifinalsWho: (2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3) New York Islanders (Lightning lead 3-2)When: Wednesday, June 23Time: 8:00 p.m.

Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist and Andrei Vasilevskiy notched his fourth career playoff shutout, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning rout the New York Islanders 8-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup semifinal series.

Experience is an invaluable ally in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Brayden Point and Ross Colton scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy controlled the crease, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Tuesday night to win the second-round playoff series in five games.

Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos each had two goals and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4 to open a commanding lead in their second-round playoff series.

The star-studded Tampa Bay Lightning beam when talking about the contributions of Barclay Goodrow, a physical third-line forward playing a largely unheralded role in the team’s bid to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning open their second-round playoff series Sunday.

Captains are leading the way into the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Andrei Vasilevskiy wrapped up a series with a Game 6 shutout for the second straight time, stopping 29 shots in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.

The New York Islanders have evened their series with Pittsburgh by keeping Penguins star Sidney Crosby in check.

Alex Killorn scored a pair of second-period goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded from its first postseason loss to rout the Florida Panthers 6-2 and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the first-round Central Division playoff matchup.

Ryan Lomberg scored on a breakaway 5:56 into overtime to cap a furious comeback and give the Florida Panthers a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of their first-round playoff matchup.

Heading back to Tampa Bay, the Lightning lead their best-of-seven series with the Florida Panthers 2-0 after winning both games at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. Watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs on FuboTV (7-day free trial)Florida is on the ropes, and trying to avoid another first round disappointment. For Tampa, the defending Stanley Cup Champions, no time to let up. What: NHL Central Division PlayoffsWho: (2) Florida Panthers vs. (3) Tampa Bay LightningWhen: Thursday, May 20Time: 7:30 p.m. ETWhere: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Fla.)Channel: USAStream: FuboTV (7-day free trial)

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 shots, Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat had first-period goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Central Division first-round playoff series.

The first-ever playoff game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers could be tough to top.

Brayden Point scored two late goals, including the game-winner with 1:14 left in the third period, to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers 5-4 to take Game 1 of their playoff series.

There used to be a thing called the Governor’s Cup, a trophy presented to whichever team won the annual regular season series between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Media pundits believe the rights package of NHL's new seven-year deal with ESPN is worth $400 million per year. But post-breakup, ESPN continued to value NHL content by centering coverage around longtime analyst Barry Melrose. Dan Cohen, senior vice president of Octagon's Global Media Rights Consulting division, said the NHL could solicit more than $600 million annually for its entire package. He added that the NHL "would be best served to renew its other rights package with NBC, who has invested heavily in marketing the NHL and who can offer a tri-cast distribution model." "Something that has as much volume as hockey, they can go with a tri-cast model across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN+/Hulu."

Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde (37) watches the puck in front of Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) in the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)DETROIT – Anthony Mantha scored a tiebreaking goal late in the first period, Jonathan Bernier stopped a season-high 40 shots and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4 Thursday night. Tampa Bay entered the game 19-0-1 against the Red Wings over the last five years, and its 20-game point streak was the longest in franchise history against a team. Troy Stecher, Dylan Larkin and Mantha scored to put the Red Wings ahead. CATCHING A BREAKThe Red Wings took advantage of not facing Vasilevskiy, who is 11-0 against them.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Blake Coleman (20) scores on Detroit Red Wings goaltender Thomas Greiss (29) during overtime of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in Detroit. Tampa Bay won 4-3. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)DETROIT – Blake Coleman scored 2:17 into overtime, giving the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. Tampa Bay is 18-4-2 with the NHL's best winning percentage and has 38 points, tying Toronto for the most in the league. Thomas Greiss made 25 saves for the last-place Red Wings.

Many partied while defying a local order mandating masks even be worn outdoors during Super Bowl week, and drawing sharp criticism from some public officials. The Lightning won the Stanley Cup and the Rays went to the World Series. Those guys had our backs throughout the season, both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tampa Bay Lightning. They were rooting us on.”AdSome of the Lightning players wore Bucs jerseys on the team’s flight to Nashville, too. “We try to watch the Super Bowl every year.

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 30: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning looks on during a game against the Nashville Predators at Amalie Arena on January 30, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)TAMPA, Fla. – Barclay Goodrow scored a pair of goals and the Tampa Bay Lightning remained undefeated on home ice with a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. Goodrow’s second goal of the game was the 6,000th goal in Lightning franchise history. Tampa Bay extended its point streak against Detroit to 19 games (18-0-1) and has won 16 consecutive regular-season home games against the Red Wings. Tampa Bay Lightning: At Nashville Predators on Monday.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) watches his goal get past Detroit Red Wings goaltender Thomas Greiss (29) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)TAMPA, Fla. – Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 on Wednesday for their third consecutive win. Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point also scored for Tampa Bay, which remained unbeaten in five home games this season. The Lightning stretched their home win streak against the Red Wings to 15 dating to Dec. 12, 2013. Mantha scored on a breakaway at 9:49 before Killorn deflected a Mikhail Sergachev shot to make it 5-1 at 11:32. “I thought after the second period we didn’t really give them too much.’’MILESTONEDetroit captain Dylan Larkin appeared in his 400th game, all with the Red Wings.

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)TAMPA, Fla. – Warren Sapp wishes fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could pack the stands for the first Super Bowl played in a host team’s home stadium. The Bucs won three straight playoff games on the road to become the first team to advance to a Super Bowl in its home stadium. “The Bucs in the Super Bowl with the game at home doesn’t even seem real. "Tom Brady comes to town and it’s basically: `You want to go to the Super Bowl? Super Bowl Sunday will be a travel day for the hockey champions, so they won’t be in town during the game.

San Jose's Erik Karlsson (65) handles the puck against Minnesota Wild's Nick Bjugstad (27) in the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in St. Paul, Minn. San Jose won 5-3. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)With an outbreak delaying the Dallas Stars opener, Rick Bowness got to watch a lot of hockey in the first couple of nights of the NHL season. The San Jose Sharks have been the NHL's nomads since they opened training camp in Arizona because of a ban on contact sports by Santa Clara County, California. “We’re staying in 5-star hotels, get to play hockey, so I can’t complain,” defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said. Ad___Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno___More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Kameron Bush, 3, poses with the Stanley Cup at the Children's Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 16, 2020. The Tampa Bay Lightning took the Stanley Cup to the Children's Cancer Center as part of their local tour of stops after winning the National Hockey League's championship trophy Sept. 28 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Kristina Hjertkvist/Tampa Bay Lightning via AP)Remy Heberlein’s grandmother joked he shouldn’t touch the Stanley Cup with chocolate on his hands. This wasn’t like any other year when the NHL champions could take the Stanley Cup wherever they want. Officials from the team and Children’s Cancer Center and the keepers of the Cup came up with an intricate plan: a 90-minute outdoor gathering with hand sanitizer stations and families waiting in their cars until their 3 minutes with players and the trophy.

The triumph of winning the NHL championship in a bubble was certainly no less sweet for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played 964 regular-season and 137 playoff games to get to this point, losing in the final twice before. Tampa Bay had Point and No. Coach Jon Cooper thought the attitude needed to change from wanting to beat every opponent 9-0 because that’s not realistic in playoff hockey. ... Alexander Volkov made his NHL playoff debut for Tampa Bay, which also saw Patrick Maroon become just the eighth player to win the Cup in back-to-back seasons with different teams (St. Louis).

The Dallas Stars looking to even the series with a win in Game 4 after falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3. The game will air on NBC and can be streamed on fuboTV (free trial) | Hulu | Sling (free trial)Tampa Bay looks to fire on all cylinders after the team netted two goals in the first period. The team saw the return of Steven Stamkos in Game 3 but will be without him in Game 4. What: Stanley Cup Finals - Game 4Who: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas StarsWhen: Friday, Sept. 25Time: 8 p.m. ETWhere: Rogers Place -- Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaTV: NBCStream: fuboTV (free trial) | Hulu | Sling (free trial)

The Dallas Stars have to fix some things in a hurry, or this Stanley Cup Final could be over quickly. After consecutive games with three-goal periods, Tampa Bay has all of the momentum and a 2-1 series lead. Dallas' top line is without a goal against Tampa Bay. The NHL is playing Stanley Cup Final games on back-to-back nights for the first time since 2009, when Detroit won each of the first two games against Pittsburgh, which eventually won the series in seven games. In its only back-to-back this postseason, Tampa Bay won Games 2 and 3 in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against Boston.

EDMONTON, AB – As soon as Steven Stamkos scored on his first shot since February, his Tampa Bay Lightning celebrated on the ice and the bench with 211 days of pent up excitement. The Lightning were just fine with Stamkos offering moral support sitting in the middle of the bench. The game was everything that has made Tampa Bay one of the best teams in hockey for more than half of the last decade. While Tampa Bay got a significant talent back, Dallas was without a key veteran role player. ... To make room for Stamkos, Tampa Bay scratched Carter Verhaeghe.

TORONTO, ONT Brayden Point scored 10:27 into the fifth overtime, and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Tuesday in the fourth-longest game in Stanley Cup playoff history. Point scored from just above the left circle, beating Joonas Korpisalo after the goaltender made an NHL-record 85 saves. Point also scored way back in the first period of Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. The teams combined for 151 shots most in a NHL game since the league began officially tracking the statistic in 1955-56. Its tiring for sure but then it gets fun at some point," Point said.

TORONTO Goalie Joonas Kirpisalo and the Columbus Blue Jackets proved how they learned their lesson about holding three-goal leads. Korpisalo stopped 33 shots, Zach Werenski's floater from the left point in the first period held up as the winner, and the Blue Jackets defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 win in a decisive Game 5 on Sunday night. The Maple Leafs ran out of offense with captain John Tavares misfiring by hitting the post while facing a wide-open side in the first period. The Maple Leafs continued their one-and-done playoff woes in making their fourth straight postseason appearance, and fifth since the 2004-05 NHL lockout. NOTES: Maple Leafs LW Andreas Johnsson returned to play after being activated off injured reserve earlier in the day.

TORONTO, ONT Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper took exception to the Columbus Blue Jackets being referred to as a blue-collar team. Is that a positive or a negative? Cooper said Monday, a day before his Eastern Conference second-seeded Lightning open the first round of the NHL playoffs against the seventh-seeded Blue Jackets. Thats in the history books forever, Cooper said, noting how both teams have made various changes to their lineups. Id call them a really good team.Familiarity is breeding respect among the East opponents entering the first round. The Islanders hold a 5-2 playoff series edge over Washington.

When the Boston Bruins boarded their flight bound for Toronto, they thought of it as just another long road trip. NHL players from the 24 playoff teams woke up to their new reality Monday in the hub cities of Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta. Columbus coach John Tortorella won't name his starting goaltender for Game 1 against Toronto until the day before. It's just the start, and it'll take almost a week of daily testing to be sure the NHL can pull this off. But getting into the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles represented an important stride toward playing during a pandemic.