COLUMBUS — Rookie Alexandre Texier scored his first two playoff goals as the host Columbus Blue Jackets made history with a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night, wrapping up an Eastern Conference first-round series. The Lightning became the NHL's first Presidents' Trophy winner ever to be swept in a best-of-seven, opening-round playoff series. Tampa Bay had tied the all-time NHL record with 62 regular-season wins. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets won a playoff series for the first time in franchise history. Columbus' Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period, and Artemi Panarin, Texier and Matt Duchene added empty-net goals in the final two minutes. Pierre Luc-Dubois and Seth Jones also scored for the Blue Jackets. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves. Islanders 3, Penguins 1 Jordan Eberle scored for the fourth time in as many games, and Brock Nelson added the winner as visiting New York completed a first-round playoff sweep of Pittsburgh. The Islanders, who finished second in the Metropolitan Division, used a consistent formula of stifling defense, effective puck pursuit, strong goaltending from Robin Lehner and just enough offense to oust the Penguins, who were third in the division but had hopes of winning the Stanley Cup for the third time in four years. New York advances to the second round of the Eastern Conference postseason to face the winner of the Washington-Carolina series. The Capitals lead two games to one heading to Game 4 on Thursday. Golden Knights 5, Sharks 0 Marc-Andre Fleury had 28 saves for his 15th career playoff shutout, and Max Pacioretty had two goals and two assists as Vegas cruised to a victory over San Jose in Las Vegas to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference series. It was the 78th career playoff win for Fleury, who broke a tie with Mike Vernon for seventh place on the all-time playoff wins list. Fleury also moved into a tie with Chris Osgood for fourth place for most career playoff shutouts. Pacioretty produced the first two-goal playoff game of his career. Shea Theodore also had a goal and an assist, Alex Tuch and Jonathan Marchessault each scored their first goals of the playoffs, and Mark Stone, Reilly Smith and Nate Schmidt all finished with two assists for the Golden Knights. Jets 2, Blues 1 (OT) Kyle Connor scored the overtime winner as visiting Winnipeg erased a third-period deficit to defeat St. Louis and even their opening-round Western Conference playoff series at two wins apiece. Game 5 will be Thursday in Winnipeg. The road team has won all four games so far in the series between the Central Division rivals who finished even with 99 points in the regular season. Off the rush in the extra frame, Mark Scheifele was denied on a golden chance, but he had the presence of mind to feed the puck to the slot for a wide-open Connor to bury the winner at 6:02. It was the first-ever playoff overtime victory in Jets franchise history. — Reuters
