Eastern Semifinal Nightly Recap

Eastern Semifinal

• Florida Panthers - 5 @ New York Islanders - 0

Series tied 3-3

Freddy Andersen had a quiet night in net en route to shutting out the Islanders and evening the seires at 3. 

For a team that had the chance to win the series on home ice, New York showed a real lack of urgency in only putting 22 shots on net. They had their highest output in the first period with ten shots, but Fred "Savage" Andersen put his wizardry on display and denied them all. It was all Panthers the rest of the way. 

Wunderkind Cale Makar scored the first and only goal Florida would need in the opening 20, a PP marker and hist fourth of the playoffs. Nick Suzuki added another before the period was out to make the score 2-0. 

The two teams went scoreless in the 2nd period. Florida would rack up another three goals in the final frame to give the Panthers 5 different goal scorers on the night (Makar, Suzuki, Tavares, Zegras, Caufield).

The series shifts back to Florida for the seventh and deciding game. The Islanders will like their chances as they've gone 2-1 at BankAtlantic Center in the series. 

New Jersey Devils - 2 @ Columbus Bliue Jackets - 1

• New Jersey wins series 4 -2 

Alexander Radulov hasn't scored many goals as a member of the New Jersey Devils. He picked a good time to rediscover his touch. 

After scoring  40 goals in 64 games as a member of the Minnesota Wild, the Devils acquired him at the trade deadline looking to boost their already impressive offense for a deep run in the playoffs. In 29 games with New Jersey, including playoffs, Radulov only had 5 goals. All of that was forgotten when he scored his sixth. 

Radulov's second goal of the playoffs at 7:40 of the third period broke a 1-1 tie and punched New Jersey's ticket into the Eastern Conference Final. They'll have home ice advantage against the winner of the Panthers-Islanders series. 

Jacob Markstrom again played a key role in the victory, turning aside 23 of 24. Other than a 5-2 loss at Columbus in Game 3, Markstrom was stellar throughout the series. At the halfway point of the playoffs, he has to be considered a legitimate contender for the Conn Smythe.

In the first, the Devils' Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his seventh to go up 1-0. That lead was short-lived as Adam Lowry got things back to even just 38 seconds later. There wouldn't be another goal until Radulov's game-winning tally in the third. 

THREE STARS

Frederik Andersen (FLA): 22 saves, shutout
Cale Makar (FLA): 1 goal (GWG), +1, 3 hits, 3 shots, 2 blocked shots, 27:03 TOI
Alex Radulov (NJD): 1 goal (GWG), +/- 0, 2 hits, 5 shots, 20:36 TOI