How to watch Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final & Open Thread

If the opening game of the Eastern Conference Final was any indication of how the series will go, this one could be over quickly.

Brayden Point had two goals and three assists, while Nikita Kucherov finished with a goal and four assists to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 8-2 blowout win over the New York Islanders.

The Bolts overwhelmed the Islanders from the opening face-off, taking a 3-1 lead after the opening 20 minutes. New York’s starting goalie Thomas Greiss was pulled from the net after the third Lightning goal. Backup Semyon Varlamov finished up the game for the Isles.

Tampa Bay has won five-straight postseason games, outscoring opponents 25-9 over that span. The Lightning are fast, deep and skilled, New York’s head coach Barry Trotz acknowledged how much better his team needs to be in Game 2.

“We were watching rather than participating,” Trotz told the Associated Press. “You can’t do that against Tampa. You’ve got to be hard on them. You’ve got to take away their space. You’ve got to take away their numbers and limit their chances. They’re going to get chances. They’re a good hockey team. They’ve got some very dynamic people as you saw. ... We’ve just got to get to our game.”

The Lightning have been one of the Stanley Cup favorites from the beginning of the season. They are just three wins away from competing for hockey’s ultimate prize.

Eastern Conference Final, Game 2: New York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL leads series 1-0)

Time: 5:00 p.m. PT

TV: NBCSN

Which team will win today’s game?

Join in the discussion throughout the day in the comments below!