The New York Rangers are once again in familiar territory after losing 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5.
On Saturday night at Amalie Arena, the Blueshirts season is on the brink as they will now need to win two in a row if they hope to get to the Stanley Cup Final. The mantra No Quit in New York is going to have to take on an even bigger meaning if the Rangers hope to extend this run.
A tall task for a team that is 2-7 on the road in the postseason. Meanwhile, the Lightning are 6-1 at home.
“They came out on top late in the game,” Gerard Gallant said “It’s tough tonight. But tomorrow we’ll get on the airplane and be ready to go play a game in Tampa Bay. It’ll be a battle and we have to go in there and play our best game to give ourselves a chance in Game 7 back here.”
Recap: Lightning 3 vs Rangers 1
Ryan Lindgren was the first player to break through in this defensive battle. The play was set in motion thanks to pressure from Tyler Motte on Bolt’s defenseman Zach Bogosian causing a turnover. Lindgren picked up the puck off the boards and snapped it over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s blocker side.
Unfortunately, the Rangers could not hold that lead very long as Mikhail Sergachev used a pick by Nick Paul to snap a wrister by Igor Shesterkin.
The amount of traffic in front was a problem for the Blueshirts all game and it would eventually spell their doom.
Late in the third period, it was Sergachev again floating one toward an overcrowded crease that Ondrej Palat tipped with just 1:50 left in the game.
Brandon Hagel scored the empty net goal to ice it with 59 seconds left. Vasilevskiy stopped 24 shots in the winning effort.
Tampa Bay now leads series 3 games to 2 and will look to close out the Rangers to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year.
Notable Rangers
- Igor Shesterkin stopped 24 of 26
- Ryan Lindgren scored his second goal of the playoffs
NHL News and Rumors
- David Pastrnak trade not out of the question
- Kraken goalie Chris Driedger has ACL surgery
- NHL Rumors: Latest on Johnny Gaudreau, J.T. Miller, and Flyers coach
