EDMONTON, Alberta — The last time the Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Final, Andrei Vasilevskiy was a rookie goalie who played when starter Ben Bishop was injured, the “Triplets” line of Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov led the offense and defenseman Victor Hedman was the most dominant player on the ice many nights.

Five years later, they’re on the verge of eliminating the Islanders and returning to the final because the core holdovers from that run and their new top center Brayden Point are playing some of the best hockey of their lives. Point has replaced Johnson on what coach Jon Cooper called “Triplets 2.0,” Vasilevskiy is a seasoned pro coming with a Vezina Trophy on his resume and Hedman is again a playoff MVP front-runner.

“I got more experience now,” Vasilevskiy said. “Confidence level, I think it’s on a good level. Obviously guys playing very well in front of me, and that gives me even more confidence. I was a rookie five years ago. Now I grew up, and I’m big boy now.”

Vasilevskiy and the Lightning’s big boys have performed like it. Even without injured captain Steven Stamkos, who’s skating occasionally but doesn’t appear close to returning, the second-seeded Lightning leads the Eastern Conference final 3-1 largely on the strength of its stars outplaying the sixth-seeded Islanders’ stars.

Kucherov has a series-best nine points, and Point has three goals and four assists despite missing Game 3 with an injury. Blake Coleman, who along with Barclay Goodrow was a key trade deadline pickup, called Point “the most dangerous guy in the playoffs.”

Before the East final, that distinction could’ve gone to Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, who put up 13 points in his first 16 playoff games. The Lightning have completely shut down the line of Barzal, Anders Lee and Anthony Beauvillier, who have only produced one goal in the series.