![]() The Lightning are 1-9 in their last 10 playoff overtime appearances and blew a three-goal lead in the third period of a post-season game for the first time in franchise history. Game 6, if necessary, will be back in Tampa on Saturday. The teams have two days off before Game 5 of the best-of-seven matchup, which goes Thursday in Toronto. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman each added two assists. Vasilevskiy, who has allowed 16 goals in three straight losses, stopped 32 shots. You’d be a fool to write Tampa off this soon, but there’s no arguing the Lightning have dug themselves a tough hole.ROUNDUP Devils down Rangers, Kraken beat Avalanche to each even series 2-2Īlex Killorn scored twice for Tampa, while Sergachev, with a goal and an assist, and Steven Stamkos provided the rest of the offence. Lightning worry meter: □□□□ … 2-0 is far from insurmountable for a team as accomplished as the Lightning, but we haven’t seen the truly dominant version of this team in the series yet. Mika Zibanejad makes it 3-1 early in the third /wN1CWXY8nu Zibanejad was selling pass all the way with his head position but instead sniped a deceptive shot high blocker on Vasilevskiy. Nikita Kucherov turned the puck over on a breakout attempt, which sent Zibanejad and Fox back on the counterattack. Moment of the game: Zibanejad’s winning goal was a perfect encapsulation of Tampa Bay’s problems through the first 42 minutes or so. Key stat: This is the first time the Lightning have lost consecutive playoff games since 2019. Tampa Bay had a chance to get free and make clean plays only when New York retired the aggressive forecheck and sat back in a defensive shell once Zibanejad doubled the lead. That gave the Rangers tons of counterattack chances off the rush, the types of looks that are more dangerous than public stats like expected goals can capture. New York’s forecheck was aggressive, picking off passes and stealing pucks with poke checks. In particular, the Lightning had a difficult time breaking the puck out past center ice. That lack of offense was a result of Tampa’s turnovers in all three zones, which prevented the Lightning from being able to connect plays. They got on the board thanks to a fortuitous power-play opportunity early in the first, but they had only 10 shots with around six minutes left in the second period. This was a well-rounded, well-deserved victory.įor the first two periods, the Lightning were unable to generate anything offensively. He merely had to close it out in the third period after he was handed a two-goal lead. Shesterkin didn’t have to pitch a herculean game. The power play was blanked, but the Rangers pumped three pucks past Andrei Vasilevskiy at even strength. The Lightning didn’t wake up until Mika Zibanejad’s 3-1 tally, at which point the Rangers conservatively sat back and Tampa started looking like the defending Cup champs again.Įverybody knows how reliant the Rangers typically are on their elite power play and goalie Igor Shesterkin, but New York had a lot more to offer in Game 2. ![]() Tampa Bay finished the game with a sizable edge in even-strength shots, scoring chances and expected goals, but don’t let that fool you: New York had full control of this game for the first 42 minutes. What was the key? Facts don’t lie, but fancy stats sometimes do. Game 2: Rangers 3, Lightning 2 | New York leads 2-0 Series odds: Rangers -250, Lightning +200 Lightning vs. What are the odds for Rangers at Lightning Game 3? For live NHL odds from BetMGM, click here. Our in-depth NHL coverage is linked below the picks. We put our picks, the TV schedule and all series coverage, plus the latest odds, all in one place for fans to easily digest and follow. ETĮvery day during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, The Athletic’s writers will make their picks, straight up. Game 7*: Lightning at Rangers | Tuesday, June 14 | 8 p.m. Game 6*: Rangers at Lightning | Saturday, June 11 | TBD Game 5*: Lightning at Rangers | Thursday, June 9 | 8 p.m. Game 4: Rangers at Lightning | Tuesday, June 7 | 8 p.m. ![]() Game 3: Rangers at Lightning | Sunday, June 5 | 3 p.m. Game 2: Rangers 3, Lightning 2 | Rangers lead series 2-0 Streaming: ESPN+, SN Now Eastern Conference finals schedule ET on Sunday Where to watch and stream Lightning vs. The pressure will be on the home team in Florida to get back in the series. Tampa Bay is still favored in Game 3, but is only +200 to win the series despite the 2-0 series deficit.
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