The NHL playoffs took a two-day break to protest racial injustice, the latest twist in an unprecedented, pandemic-halted season.

Now itB次元官网网址檚 back to the ice.

Three second-round playoff series resume with Game 4s on Saturday after NHL players joined athletes in sports leagues across the country in protesting the latest shooting of an unarmed Black man by police.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e sitting here and youB次元官网网址檙e battling the Boston Bruins for two straight nights, and then the next morning, theyB次元官网网址檙e standing united, trying to digest whatB次元官网网址檚 gone on and move forward,B次元官网网址� Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Friday. B次元官网网址淚 thought that was really impressive.B次元官网网址�

The NHL played three games Wednesday after video surfaced of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The NHL then opted hit the pause button for a second time this season on Thursday and Friday, postponing four games in protest of racial injustice. That pushed everything back into the weekend.

Now the Eastern Conference series between Tampa Bay and Boston, the New York Islanders and Philadelphia will resume in the Toronto bubble. The Western Conference series between Vegas and Vancouver also fire back up in the Edmonton bubble.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (7 p.m. EDT, NBC Sports Network): The Flyers would have had a lot of momentum heading into Game 3 on Thursday after beating the Islanders 4-3 in overtime Wednesday night.

After the two-day break, theyB次元官网网址檒l have to find their mojo again in the biggest swing game of the series.

B次元官网网址淚 think each game obviously presents a unique and different challenge. and weB次元官网网址檙e all professionals here,B次元官网网址� Flyers LW James van Riemsdyk said B次元官网网址淲hen the games come and arrive at the rink, weB次元官网网址檙e ready to go and put forth all our effort and attention into playing the game and having a good result.B次元官网网址�

New York won the opener 4-0 behind Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 29 shots to become the first Islanders goalie with consecutive playoff shutouts. The Flyers chased him with three goals in the first period of Game 2, but blew the lead as the Islanders roared back.

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Philadelphia evened the series when Philippe Myers scored in overtime for the 4-3 victory.

The break gave Varlamov, along with Flyers goalie Carter Hart, plenty of time to rest before Game 3.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS. BOSTON BRUINS (noon EDT, NBC): The layoff should give the Bruins time shake off an ugly loss in Game 3.

The Lighting buzzed after winning Game 2 in overtime, scoring two goals in a 15-second span of the first period on their way to a 7-1 win and a 2-1 series lead.

B次元官网网址淲e need to alter areas of our plan of attack so we can expose some weaknesses in Tampa because thereB次元官网网址檚 not many of them,B次元官网网址� Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. B次元官网网址淎 day away from the rink probably helped everyone in terms of their physical conditioning because we just finished playing three (games) in four (days).B次元官网网址�

The Lightning had plenty of momentum after winning back-to-back games, but now find themselves trying to rev it back up after two days of focusing on bigger-picture issues.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e kind of in the middle of a playoff series, but thereB次元官网网址檚 more thatB次元官网网址檚 happened outside the game itself,B次元官网网址� Tampa Bay defenceman Luke Schenn said.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. VANCOUVER CANUCKS (9:45 p.m. EDT, NBC Sports Network): Vegas faced the difficult task of trying to bounce back from a lopsided loss with less than a day to prepare for a critical Game 3.

Instead of playing a back-to-back, the Golden Knights had two extra days to shake off a 5-2 loss on Tuesday thanks to the shutdown.

The big decision could be who starts in goal.

Marc-Andre FleuryB次元官网网址檚 agent created a stir before Game 1, posting on a social media an illustration of the goalie being stabbed in the back with a sword.

Robin Lehner shook off the distraction and posted a shutout in the opener, but allowed four goals in the Game 2 loss.

Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom bounced back from being pulled in the opener to stop 38 shots in Game 2.

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John Marshall, The Associated Press