Lightning Eliminate Hurricanes in Game 5, Advance to Stanley Cup Semifinals

The Tampa Bay Lightning are eight wins away from defending their Stanley Cup title.

Last year's champs beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Tuesday night, eliminating them in five games in the Central second round. Brayden Point and Ross Colton scored for the Lightning, silencing a raucous Canes crowd.

Andrei Vasilevskiy continued his excellent postseason in goal, saving all 29 shots he faced. He gave up just six goals in Tampa's four wins in the series.

The Hurricanes outshot the Lightning 29-25, outhit them 34-24 and had more power plays (3-2, though the Lightning had the only power-play goal).

But Tampa's balance was evident yet again. They protected the puck (just 12 giveaways, compared to 23 for the Canes) and blocked 22 shots. 

“Probably why we’ve had success the last couple of years is because we’ve had the ability to win different ways," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper told reporters before Game 5. "If you want to get into a shootout, we have a group that can do it that way. But that’s not ideal. We really have this belief that it’s what you keep out of your net, not how much you put in the other net. We try and live by that.”

They've been living by that, and thriving by that, this postseason. Six of Tampa's eight playoff wins have come in games they've given up two goals or less. 

It's a tough way for the Hurricanes' season to end after an excellent regular season. They simply ran into the better team. 

Up next for the Lightning will be the winner of the Boston Bruins vs. New York Islanders matchup. The Islanders are currently up in that series 3-2. The Lightning will have home-ice advantage in that series.