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SPORTS Thursday 18 april 2019
Lightning swept by Columbus after historic regular season

The Islanders trailed for less Conference series at two Pacioretty had two goals
than five minutes across games apiece. and two assists, Marc-An-
four games against the Mark Scheifele also scored dre Fleury earned his 15th
Penguins, whose 13th and Connor Hellebuyck playoff shutout and Vegas
straight postseason ap- made 31 saves for the Jets, blanked San Jose for a 3-1
pearance ended quietly. who arrived in St. Louis lead in their best-of-seven
Pittsburgh managed just six down 2-0. Western Conference series.
goals in the series, including It is the only first-round series Vegas can eliminate the
Jake Guentzel’s first of the in which the home team Sharks from the postseason
postseason 35 seconds into has failed to win a game. for the second consecu-
the game. Game 5 is Thursday night tive year on Thursday in San
It wasn’t nearly enough to back in Winnipeg. Jose.
stop the Islanders. Vladimir Tarasenko scored Since losing Game 1 on the
Penguins defenseman Kris early in the third period and road, the Golden Knights
Letang whiffed while try- Jordan Binnington made have never trailed and
ing to pinch into the New 37 saves for the Blues. they’ve outscored the
York zone, creating a 2-on- Scheifele tied it at the 7:33 Sharks 16-6.
1 the other way that Eberle mark, tipping in a feed from Fleury, who made 28 saves,
finished to even it at 1 just Connor. has stopped 87 of 93 shots
1:34 after Guentzel had put Connor ended it when he in the last three games.
Pittsburgh in front. banged home a feed from Shea Theodore, Alex Tuch
JETS 2, BLUES 1, OT Scheifele for his third goal in and Jonathan Marches-
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kyle Con- two games. sault also scored.
nor scored 6:02 into over- GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5, Nate Schmidt and Reil-
time and Winnipeg beat SHARKS 0 ly Smith each had two
St. Louis to tie their Western LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max assists.q

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky, left, of Russia, and
Brandon Dubinsky celebrate their win over the Tampa Bay
Lightning in Game 4 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series,
Tuesday, April 16, 2019, in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets
beat the Lightning 7-3.
Associated Press
By The Associated Press Columbus won its first-ever
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — playoff series in its fifth try
The Tampa Bay Lightning and advances to play the
ended up on the wrong winner of the Boston-Toron-
side of NHL history, getting to series, which the Maple
swept in the first round of Leafs lead 2-1.
the playoffs after one of Rookie Alexandre Texier
the best regular seasons scored twice for the Blue
ever. Jackets. Pierre Luc-Dubois
The Columbus Blue Jackets had a goal and a pair of
capped a stunning sweep assists. Oliver Bjorkstrand
of the Presidents Trophy scored the go-ahead goal
winners with a 7-3 victory after Tampa Bay tied it at 3.
Tuesday night. Tampa Bay Steven Stamkos, Cedric
became the first team in Paquette and Brayden
the expansion era, which Point scored for Tampa
began in 1967-68, to go Bay, which never led in this
winless in the first round of elimination game.
the playoffs after leading ISLANDERS 3, PENGUINS 1
the league in points during PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jordan
the regular season. Eberle scored for the fourth
And what a season it was. straight game, Robin Leh-
Tampa Bay tied the NHL ner stopped 32 shots and
record for wins with 62 and New York finished off Sid-
amassed 128 points, fourth ney Crosby and Pittsburgh
in NHL history. to pull off a stunning sweep.
The Blue Jackets, mean- Josh Bailey set up Brock
while, didn’t clinch the sec- Nelson’s go-ahead goal
ond Eastern Conference late in the first period and
wild-card spot until the 81st added an empty-net score
game. But they outplayed with 38 seconds remaining
the Lightning with a smoth- as the Islanders easily cap-
ering forecheck and stellar tured the franchise’s sec-
goaltending by Sergei Bo- ond playoff series victory in
brovsky. 26 years.