Conference final: Lightning-Rangers Game 2 live updates
The Lightning find themselves two losses from playoff elimination after falling 3-2 to the Rangers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final Friday in New York City.
New York will take a 2-0 series lead into Game 3 Sunday afternoon at Amalie Arena.
Kaapo Kakko scored the go-ahead goal with 2:28 remaining in the first period, and Mika Zibanejad added what ultimately proved to be the game-winner 1:21 into the third.
Nick Paul’s goal with goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy pulled for an extra attacker trimmed Tampa Bay’s deficit to 3-2 with 2:02 to play.
Nikita Kucherov gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal 2:41 into the game, but the Rangers’ K’Andre Miller scored just over three minutes later to tie it.
Vasilevskiy allowed three goals on 28 shots. New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 of 31.
Here’s how it happened:
Third period
Frank Vatrano shot goes wide on 2-on-1
RANGERS GOAL: Mika Zibanejad beats Andrei Vasilevskiy stick side on a wrist shot from the left circle after a Nikita Kucherov turnover in the neutral zone. Rangers 3, Lightning 1.
Andrew Copp shot off the rush saved by Vasilevskiy
Nikita Kucherov shot blocked by K’Andre Miller
Long-distance Pat Maroon shot blocked
Maroon has a chance in front after a Rangers turnover but is stopped by Shesterkin
Alexis Lafrenière shot saved by Vasilevskiy
Paul backhander knocked wide of the net
Motte in visible pain after crashing into the end boards
Trouba hits Cirelli in open ice
Stamkos centering pass goes harmlessly through the crease
Victor Hedman penalized for tripping Alexis Lafrenière with 6:05 to play, giving the Rangers their fourth power play
Trouba slap shot saved by Vasilevskiy
Ross Colton slap shot from the left point saved by Shesterkin
Lightning pull Vasilevskiy for an extra attacker with 3:49 to play
Stamkos shot smothered by Shesterkin
Vasilevskiy reenters the game for faceoff in the defensive zone
Vasilevskiy goes back off the ice
LIGHTNING GOAL! Nick Paul scores around Shesterkin’s right leg pad after pass from Corey Perry. Rangers 3, Lightning 2.
(Rangers win 3-2, take 2-0 series lead)
Second period
Cal Foote wrist shot saved by Igor Shesterkin
Alexis Lafrenière shot hits Foote in the shoulder, then goes off the right post
Tyler Motte shot gets behind Andrei Vasilevskiy, but a sliding Corey Perry swats it back under his goaltender
Frank Vatrano shot blocked in front
Artemi Panarin wrist shot saved by Vasilevskiy, who gives up a long rebound
Filip Chytil backhander from a bad angle covered by Vasilevskiy
Foote penalized for roughing
Anthony Cirelli clears the puck out of the zone
Chris Kreider shot blocked by Nick Paul
Panarin shot from right circle off the rush saved by Vasilevskiy
Andrew Copp wrist shot saved by Vasilevskiy after drop pass from Chytil
Vatrano slap shot saved by Vasilevskiy. Lafrenière has a rebound chance and Ryan McDonagh keeps Chytil from getting another
Kreider shot blocked, and McDonagh clears the puck
Lightning kill the Foote penalty; four shots on Rangers power play
Chytil whiffs on snap shot from the slot off the rush
Chytil shot blocked by Zach Bogoasian, who is hurting
Motte shot blocked by Foote
McDonagh blocks shot in front after Cernak turnover leads to 3-on-1
Quick Kreider shot from right circle and Vatrano rebound attempt stopped by Vasilevskiy
Chytil shot from slot saved by Vasilevskiy with Kakko proving traffic in front
Paul shot blocked up over the net by Motte
Stamkos shot deflects off Lindgren
Mikhail Sergachev shot saved by Shesterkin
Stamkos shot from the slot blocked by Trouba
Sergachev shot from the center point saved by Shesterkin
(Rangers lead 2-1 after two periods)
First period
Ryan McDonagh wrist shot saved by Igor Shesterkin
Ryan Reaves penalized for slashing Pat Maroon, giving Lightning an early power play
Victor Hedman shot saved by Shesterkin
LIGHTNING GOAL! Nikita Kucherov scores on a wrist shot from above the right circle, beating Shesterkin up over the glove. Lightning 1, Rangers 0.
Andrei Vasilevskiy smothers Artemi Panarin shot after errant Victor Hedman pass leads to a breakaway
Filip Chytil shot saved by Vasilevskiy
RANGERS GOAL: K’Andre Miller beats Vasilevskiy gloveside from the slot on rebound after Brandon Hagel blocked the first shot. Lightning 1, Rangers 1.
The Lightning goal originally credited to Corey Perry has now been awarded to Nikita Kucherov
Shesterkin stops Steven Stamkos drive with a toe save and a follow-up attempt by Alex Killorn with the pad
Erik Cernak penalized for roughing Mika Zibanejad, and the Rangers get their first power play
Panarin slap shot from right point saved by Vasilevskiy
Zibanejad misses with blast from left circle
Zibanejad shot-pass to Chris Kreider saved by Vasilevskiy
Lightning kill the Cernak penalty
Tyler Motte backhand shot on a breakaway goes off the post
Stamkos penalized for slashing and Rangers go right back on the power play
Vasilevskiy makes right pad save on Zibanejad one-timer from left circle
Cernak clears the puck out of the zone
Jacob Trouba shot from the center point deflected wide
Lightning kill the Stamkos penalty
Miller knocks down Kucherov
Hedman pass goes through the crease
RANGERS GOAL: Kaapo Kakko tips in Adam Fox pass from left circle to right post, through Jan Rutta and Hedman. Rangers 2, Lightning 1.
(Rangers lead 2-1 after one period)
Pregame scouting report
Was it as bad as it looked?
Well, yeah, mostly.
Aside from the first period, which they played relatively well and left with the score tied, the Lightning deserved every bit of their 6-2 loss to the Rangers Wednesday in Game 1, putting them in a one-game hole in the best-of-seven series.
New York’s ability to get through the neutral zone quickly and cleanly put Tampa Bay on its heels, and its forecheck forced the Lightning into uncharacteristic mistakes. The result was more goals-against in one game than Tampa Bay had allowed in its previous five combined (four).
Whether it was rust from the nine days between games or simply a lack of execution, the Lightning know they must turn things around in a hurry against a Rangers team that has scored 17 goals over its past three games if they hope to continue their quest for a third straight Stanley Cup.
Fortunately, that’s just what Tampa Bay does.
Going back to the round-robin games in the 2020 postseason, the Lightning have won 17 straight games immediately following a playoff loss, an NHL record.
That includes a 5-0 loss to the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the opening round, at which point it looked like Toronto might score times shorthanded than Tampa Bay would score period in the series.
If there’s one thing this team doesn’t do, it’s panic.
It has veteran voices all around the locker room and a profusion of playoff experience to help it weather the ups and downs of sports’ longest and most grueling postseason.
It also has toughness, resilience and a strong will to win, which allows it to overcome the attrition that comes from playing four rounds of physically demanding, tightly contested, emotionally draining games over the two-month struggle that is the NHL postseason.
Individual series are about adjustments, both tactical and mental. The Lightning know how to self-correct, putting a bad game behind them and moving on to the next one. Can they make the on-ice changes necessary to counter what the Rangers did in Game 1 and get back to the high standard of play that they’ve created for themselves, particularly on defense, over the past three postseasons?
History says they will. But believing they can and going out and doing it are two different things.
Follow our live coverage, starting at 8 p.m., as Tampa Bay aims to even the conference final at one game apiece and move within three victories of advancing to a third straight Cup final.
Game night scene
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