The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders are set to do battle for Eastern Conference supremacy in what promises to be a highly entertaining series.

The Lightning and Islanders finished the regular season with the second- and seventh-best records in the East, respectively. The two clubs deploy different styles but each has utilized its unique methods to find postseason success.

New York won two of the teams' three regular-season meetings. They've faced off twice in the playoffs before, with the Lightning winning their most recent matchup - a 2016 second-round series - in five games.

Schedule

* - If necessary

Tale of the tape

How they got here

Lightning: Tampa Bay went 2-1 in the round-robin stage before dispatching the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games in Round 1. That series featured a five-overtime marathon in Game 1, but the Lightning eventually overcame the pesky Blue Jackets in both the historically long contest and the series, exorcising their demons from last season's stunning first-round sweep.

That set up a high-octane clash with the Boston Bruins - Tampa Bay's fiercest competitor in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins won Game 1 but the Lightning stormed back with four consecutive victories, capped off by Victor Hedman's double-overtime winner.

The Lightning own a 10-3 record since the hiatus and have been firing on all cylinders.

Islanders: New York tidily handled the Florida Panthers with a four-game qualifying-round win. That set up a clash with the favored Washington Capitals, where the Islanders showed they're a legitimate threat in the East by outscoring the high-flying Capitals 17-8 and advancing in five games.

New York took on the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in Round 2. The Islanders jumped out to a 3-1 series lead but dropped the following two contests to pave the way for a decisive Game 7. However, the Islanders put on a vintage Barry Trotz-led performance in the winner-take-all contest, holding the Flyers to only 16 shots on goal and claiming a 4-0 victory to reach their first conference finals since 1993.

Key players to watch

Brayden Point

Point is cementing his status as one of the league's best young players by playing at a Conn Smythe level. The 23-year-old has been a force at both ends of the ice this postseason, leading his club with 18 points - 16 at even strength - in 13 games while also boasting a dominant expected goal rate of 65.22%.

Point's also logged over 21 minutes per contest in the absence of captain Steven Stamkos, who won't make a return during this series.

Mathew Barzal

We might as well highlight each club's top center because Point going toe-to-toe with Barzal is easily this series' most exciting storyline.

Barzal, one of the NHL's most dynamic players, is having an outstanding postseason with 13 points in 16 games. He elevates his linemates with his terrific speed and playmaking abilities, and he almost always keeps the Islanders in control of the flow of the game. Barzal has 62.62% of expected goals this postseason, and New York is outscoring opponents 12-5 when he's on the ice at even strength.

If Barzal, an impending restricted free agent, can lead the Islanders to a Stanley Cup Final, you can bet he and his agent will bring that to the negotiating table with the team's brass.

Tampa Bay can win if ...

The depth steps up. While Point and linemate Nikita Kucherov have done much of the heavy lifting for Tampa Bay's offense, the bottom six hasn't gotten results. Players like Tyler Johnson (six points), Barclay Goodrow (three points), and Pat Maroon (two points), need to find ways to contribute against New York's stout defensive schemes. It'll be imperative for someone on the Lightning to pick up the slack if Tampa Bay's big guns get shut down.

Tampa Bay's lengthy layoff is another factor to monitor early in the series. The Lightning will have waited a week between games by the time the puck drops in Game 1, and any rust could go a long way in determining which team captures the early momentum.

New York can win if ...

It remains the aggressor. The Islanders play a simple yet effective system: establish a heavy forecheck, then shut their opponent's attempts to do the same. Three potent offenses in the Panthers, Capitals, and Flyers were unable to crack Trotz's methods, and it could also work against the Lightning if the system continues to run smoothly.

The Islanders are perhaps the NHL's most structurally sound unit, and it's become clear this postseason that everyone's bought into their team identity. Not veering from the game plan that brought them to this point will be crucial if they're to reach their first final since 1984.

X-factors

Victor Hedman

It's not a secret at this point, but no player in this series is capable of having a bigger impact on a nightly basis than Hedman. The Lightning blue-liner is the definition of a workhorse, having averaged 26 minutes per contest this postseason while also ranking second on the team in points (nine) and shots on goal (44).

Hedman takes on top competition every night, yet Tampa Bay is outscoring opponents 13-3 at five-on-five in the playoffs when he's on the ice.

Josh Bailey

Bailey has flown under the radar as the Islanders' top postseason producer, racking up two goals and 15 assists in 16 games. He's been the catalyst in providing New York with an additional scoring punch while playing on the second line with Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier.

Bailey's also been a factor on the power play, with six of his helpers coming with the man advantage. Special teams go a long way in determining a playoff series, and Bailey has played a big role on the Islanders' top unit.

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EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Two days after they and the Vegas Golden Knights each won a hard-fought Game 7 to move on, the Dallas Stars figured there might be an emotional letdown at the start of the Western Conference final.

They filled that void with hit after hit, got one early goal, and played the trademark lockdown style that made them one of the best defensive teams in the NHL during the regular season. The result was a hard-hitting 1-0 victory in Game 1 on Sunday night that served notice to Vegas that a spot in the Stanley Cup Final won’t come easily.

“We were skating, we were on top of them, we were creating a lot of offense from good play, good defensive structure all over the ice,” coach Rick Bowness said. “That’s Dallas Stars hockey.”

That brand of hockey worked especially well after John Klingberg scored on the Stars’ first shot 2:36 in and with goaltender Anton Khudobin locked in. Khudobin’s rebound control was excellent in stopping all 25 Vegas shots he faced on the way to his first shutout in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“It always goes to your career record,” said Khudobin, who entered this year without a postseason start on that record. “At the same time, most of it, I’m happy with the win.”

The recipe for this win was a barrage of hits. In true Stars fashion, the game had almost double the amount of total hits (96) than shots on goal (50).

With physicality the focus, Dallas took it to top-seeded Vegas, which has the size to bang bodies but couldn’t match the Stars’ jump from the drop of the puck.

“It took us a while to get our legs going,” Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “We didn’t come out to play from the start of the game.”

The Stars came out hitting and got the boost they needed when it looked like surprise Vegas starter Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t get reset after Dallas captain Jamie Benn’s shot attempt was blocked, and Klingberg fired the loose puck past him into the net.

Playing with a lead allowed Dallas players to throw their bodies around. If the Golden Knights didn’t know what to expect from the Stars, they do now, and the competition level will be higher than the first two rounds.

“This is going to be a different series,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. “They’re a heavy, veteran team and you’ve got to work to get inside and you’ve got to work for pucks and puck battles. They’re not going to hand you offense, and you’ve got to be willing to compete for pucks.”

After having the play dictated to them for the first two periods, the Golden Knights dominated the third but couldn’t crack Khudobin, who has been thrust into the No. 1 role with Ben Bishop injured. As good as Khudobin was, Fleury matched him almost save for save, stopping 23 after allowing the goal to Klingberg.

“He was fresh. He’s played well against Dallas, and he gave us a great game,” DeBoer said. “I thought he was our best player.”

But Fleury couldn’t help his teammates generate offense, and they were shut out for the second time in three games. Credit on that goes to the Stars, who took advantage of suspended Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves′ absence to set a more physical tone to begin this series.

“It was a good effort,” Benn said. “We played on our toes tonight, found a way to get one early there, and I thought (Khudobin) made a lot of great saves, especially in the third period, and we found a way to squeak it out.”

NOTES: This was the Stars’ first 1-0 regulation playoff win since 2000, the year after they won the Cup. ... Nick Cousins replaced Reaves in the lineup and delivered a big hit early. ... Mattias Janmark played for Dallas after leaving Game 7 against Colorado with injury. ... Bishop and defenseman Stephen Johns remained unfit to play for the Stars. ... Forward Andrew Cogliano was a healthy scratch so Dallas could keep Game 7 hero Joel Kiviranta in. ... Fleury started for just the fourth time in the postseason. Robin Lehner played the other 12.

UP NEXT

Game 2 is Tuesday after the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders open the East final Monday.

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Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba is the 2019-20 recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the NHL announced Sunday.

The honor is awarded annually to the player "who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."

Dumba is one of the most vocal NHL players on the subjects of racial injustice and inequality. In June, he co-founded the Hockey Diversity Alliance, whose mission is to eliminate systemic racism and intolerance in the game.

On Aug. 1, the 26-year-old gave a passionate speech addressing those issues and then became the first NHL player to kneel during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Chicago Blackhawks. One day later, he raised his fist during both anthems before Minnesota's matchup with the Vancouver Canucks.

Dumba started the "Rebuild Minnesota" project to help local businesses affected by protests stemming from the death of George Floyd in police custody. He pledged to match all donations up to $100,000 for that cause, according to the Star-Tribune's Randy Johnson.

The Wild rearguard also assisted over 60 families with COVID-19 support amid the outbreak of the pandemic and donated over $11,000 toward Australia's wildfire relief in January.

New Jersey Devils blue-liner P.K. Subban and New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist were the other two finalists.

This is the second straight year the award went to a Wild player - Jason Zucker, now of the Pittsburgh Penguins, took home the honor in 2019 while with Minnesota.

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The Vegas Golden Knights will start goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for Game 1 against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, the team announced.

Fleury has started just three games so far this postseason, while teammate Robin Lehner has appeared in 12, including the club's Game 7 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

Since Sep. 1, Lehner has started three games and stopped 48 of the 53 shots he faced, including a shutout in Game 7 to help send Vegas to the Western Conference Final.

Fleury has won all three of the contests he's appeared in so far this postseason. He played once during the round-robin, once against the Chicago Blackhawks, and once against the Canucks. His last start was on Aug. 30.

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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos won't be available for the Eastern Conference Final versus the New York Islanders, head coach Jon Cooper announced Sunday.

Stamkos has been nursing an unspecified lower-body injury since Phase 2 of the NHL's return-to-play plan and hasn't suited up this postseason.

The 30-year-old sniper also missed time during the regular season as he underwent core-muscle surgery in February. He notched 29 goals and 37 assists in 66 games.

The Lightning have managed a 10-3 record despite Stamkos' absence following the league's hiatus.

Game 1 starts Monday at 8:00 p.m. ET.

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The NHL released the Western and Eastern Conference Final schedules Sunday.

All games will be played in the Edmonton bubble beginning Sunday evening, with the Western Conference Final kicking things off.

Golden Knights vs. Stars

* - If necessary

Lightning vs. Islanders

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This is the second edition of theScore's rankings of the top candidates to be named 2019-20 playoff MVP. We've only featured players still competing in the postseason, which officially includes the qualifying round and round-robin stage.

5. Mark Stone

Stone contributes more to team wins than most players do. The gifted Vegas Golden Knights winger posted a point per game in the first two rounds and round-robin play, recording six goals and nine assists in 15 contests.

Stone also plays a critical shutdown role on the defensive end, frequently being tasked with containing some of the most dynamic stars in the league on the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks in Rounds 1 and 2, respectively.

The 28-year-old possesses a blistering 69.69% expected goals rate at 5-on-5 entering the Western Conference Final, and his scoring chances for (62.5%) and Corsi For (60.93%) figures only underscore his value further.

4. Shea Theodore

It's safe to say the Anaheim Ducks are still kicking themselves for trading Theodore to the Golden Knights at the 2017 expansion draft, and the defenseman is making his old club regret that decision more than ever this postseason.

This list's No. 1 is the only player with more points among blue-liners heading into the conference finals - Theodore's produced six goals and 10 assists in 15 games in just over 22 minutes of ice time.

The 25-year-old is particularly formidable lately, burying two goals in the last three games ahead of Round 3 and amassing two goals and eight assists over a seven-game span, including three multi-point efforts from Aug. 16-Sept. 1.

3. Brayden Point

Point is certainly living up to his last name in these playoffs, and his production is critical to the Tampa Bay Lightning's success, especially in the absence of injured captain Steven Stamkos.

Entering the conference finals, the 24-year-old forward led all NHL skaters still competing with 1.38 points per game. He's collected six goals and 12 assists in 13 games played through the first two rounds and the round-robin stage. He only earned two of his 18 points on the power play - and both were helpers - making his output look even more impressive.

Point occasionally gets overlooked because of the Lightning's catalog of superstars, but he's a game-changer in his own right. The skilled center boasts terrific possession figures entering Round 3, going above 60% in expected goals for (65.22), scoring chances for (60.95), and Corsi For (61.26) at 5-on-5.

2. Andrei Vasilevskiy

Vasilevskiy does have a potent offense in front of him, but he deserves ample recognition for his stellar performance this postseason.

The Lightning goaltender is pacing the remaining puck-stoppers with a .931 save percentage in all situations, and a 6.03 goals saved above average at 5-on-5 alongside his 10-3 record. A 45-save effort against the Boston Bruins in Game 5 padded those numbers, but he authored a commendable .927 save percentage in the 12 previous contests.

Vasilevskiy mounted his accomplishments while facing more shots than all but Jacob Markstrom, Anton Khudobin, and Carter Hart through second-round play.

1. Miro Heiskanen

It's rare to see someone so young become the most valuable still-competing player in the conference finals, but that's what Heiskanen is.

The 21-year-old led all active skaters in playoff points with 21 in 16 games heading into the third round, while averaging nearly 26 minutes of ice time.

That's remarkable, considering not just the Dallas Stars defenseman's age, but his position. Heiskanen is also effectively driving possession - his expected goals for (53.53), scoring chances for (52.59), and Corsi For (50.71) percentages at 5-on-5 are all favorable through the second round.

Honorable mentions: Josh Bailey, Robin Lehner, Nikita Kucherov, Mathew Barzal, Victor Hedman, Denis Gurianov, Alex Tuch.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)

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