NHL PLAYOFFS Tampa's goalie tough in Game 1

Nikolai Khabibulin stopped all the shots in the Lightning's 3-0 win.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Nikolai Khabibulin was impenetrable.
"He played spectacular," New York's Michael Peca said Thursday night after the Tampa Bay Lightning goalie beat the Islanders 3-0 in the opening game of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
"He deserves a lot of credit for that win, for sure," Peca said. "There were a couple of times we were ready to put up our hands [in celebration] and he somehow came up with the puck."
Shrugging off questions about past postseason struggles, Khabibulin stopped 30 shots and got some unexpected help from little-used Andre Roy to get his first playoff shutout since 1997.
Has help
Fredrik Modin also scored two goals in support of Khabibulin.
"Everything looks easy for him," Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier said. "Khabby is always composed, always in the right position. That's what makes him probably the best goaltender in the league."
Tampa Bay set franchise records for victories (46) and points (106) on its way to earning the top seed in the East.
Still, the eighth-seeded Islanders' success against the Lightning during the regular season, and Khabibulin's history of giving up soft goals in the playoffs, are factors that could make the best-of-7 matchup very tight.
The Islanders feel they outplayed the Southeast Division champions for much of Game 1, however turnovers in front of young goaltender Rick DiPietro set up the Lightning's first two goals.
Islanders defenseman Eric Cairns gave away the puck both times -- first trying a pass across the ice that Roy stole before scoring, then losing the puck as he skated around the back of the net and leaving Modin in position to score midway through the second period.
"We all make mistakes," New York coach Steve Stirling said. "If we had the power play going earlier, we might get a goal and it may not have happened."
Just 18 shots
Tampa Bay managed just 18 shots against DiPietro, who four years ago was the first goaltender to be selected No. 1 overall in the NHL draft.
The Islanders did an especially good job defensively on Martin St. Louis, the NHL scoring champion.
The All-Star right wing was limited to just two shots -- both in the third period -- and misfired on his best scoring chance when he hit the crossbar on a breakaway in the first period.
Roy, who had one goal in 33 regular-season games, scored on his second shift of the night after playing just 44 seconds in the opening period. Modin added his second goal on a deflection in the third period.