NHL PLAYOFFS Lightning boosts lead with another 3-0 win

Tampa Bay took a commanding lead over the Islanders in the playoffs.
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- Like so many other NHL clubs, the Tampa Bay Lightning had nothing to show for their regular season trips to the Nassau Coliseum.
Because the playoffs have gone so well for the Eastern Conference's top team, they might not have to come back there until next season.
The Lightning lost both regular season road games against the New York Islanders, who won 25 times at home. But Tampa Bay took a commanding lead in the first-round playoff series with consecutive 3-0 wins, the second coming Wednesday night.
"Both nights we scored pretty early in the first and took the fans out of it," said Martin St. Louis, who scored three goals in the two games.
Nikolai Khabibulin made 33 saves for his second straight shutout at Nassau Coliseum, and St. Louis helped put the Lightning within one victory of the second round.
"He's just shutting the door," said Lightning forward Fredrik Modin, who had a goal and an assist.
Set the tone
St. Louis' short-handed goal in the first period set the tone for the fourth straight 3-0 game in the series. The flashy forward had an NHL-best 94 points this season and led the league with eight short-handed goals and 11 short-handed points.
Modin had a goal and an assist, Ruslan Fedotenko also scored, and Brad Richards had two assists for the Lightning, who lead the series 3 games to 1. They can advance to the second round for the second straight year and second time ever with a home victory Friday.
Should the Islanders win, Game 6 will be back on Long Island on Saturday.
"This was a must-win for them," St. Louis said. "We knew they were going to empty the tank and we have to empty the tank ourselves, and more. You don't want to give them a chance."
Couldn't score
The Islanders, who won three of four regular season games against the top-seeded Lightning, not only couldn't win at home, they couldn't score.
"We're making it too easy for Tampa, we're wasting energy on ourselves," Islanders captain Michael Peca said. "Everybody has to have commitment, and if they don't, I'll be the first one to get in their face and tell them how disappointed I am."
New York hasn't scored since Jason Blake sealed the Game 2 victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
St. Louis didn't record a point in the first two games, at Tampa Bay. But he had two goals Monday and took the steam out of the crowd again Wednesday when he turned an Islanders power play into a 1-0 lead 10:30 in.