TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning held their composure throughout all three periods in Game 5. Their willingness to not waver under intense pressure in Madison Square Garden paid off as the Bolts scored late in the third period to defeat the Rangers, 3-1.
The New York Rangers scored first during the first period, but were unable to sink the puck in the net the remainder of the game.
Mikhail Sergachev scored the game-winning goal and the first for the Bolts during the second period while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded 24 saves.
The Bolts now head back to Tampa to face the Rangers in Game 6 at Amalie Arena this Saturday, June 11. Puckdrop is at 8 p.m.
Original story:
Four games down, three games to go and both the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers need two wins to make it to the Stanley Cup Final against Colorado.
This Rangers-Lightning series has heated up significantly after the Bolts looked rusty in Games 1 and 2. It took a while for the two-time defending champions to get going after the Panthers sweep, but it seems like the Bolts are back to peak form.
"We had a bit of a layoff, I think now we're starting to find our game and now we just have to keep this going in New York," Cooper said.
While momentum seems fully on Tampa Bay's side, that is exactly what we were all saying about the Rangers heading to Florida leading the series 2-0. Home-ice advantage has been a key factor for most teams in the 2022 playoffs. The Lightning victory marked the 50th win by a home team this postseason. It is just the 13th time in League history we've seen the squads hit that plateau.
Also, New York is nursing an eight-game winning streak at home. Their only loss at home was the first playoff game against Pittsburgh losing in triple overtime.
“It’s a crazy atmosphere. Their fans are passionate," Bolts forward Anthony Cirelli said. "They’re loud and they’re in the game for the full 60, but we’ve played in a lot of tough buildings over the years. We’ve just got to go in there and play our game and stick to what we know."
While Cirelli does not pop up on the scoring sheet too often, this is a guy who has shutdown Mika Zibanejad, which was a key adjustment from Cooper and the coaching staff. That Cirelli-Killorn-Hagel line has been doing a lot of dirty work, which is why New York has not looked sharp during five-on-five opportunities.
In fact, the Rangers did not score one even-strength goal in Tampa. In Game 3, New York scored two power play goals. In Game 4, the Blueshirts tallied a late goal thanks to a six-on-four advantage.
"Spoke to Captain Obvious today and he says 'keep them off the power play and it's going to help your game,' and he was clearly right," Cooper said.
While staying out of the box needs to be a staple, the Bolts have done an amazing job limiting cross-ice passes. The Rangers are having trouble moving east-to-west and when that is closed off, the scoring chances go down.
Also, for the second straight game, the Lightning had less than 10 giveaways logging nine in the contest. In Games 3 and 4 the Bolts combined for 15 giveaways. In Games 1 and 2, the squad had more than 20 turnovers in both contests.
"Just get back to the basics," Pat Maroon, who scored the first goal in Game 4, said. "Get pucks low and set the next line up. You're not always going to score, but it's always playing the right way, playing simple, and making sure you set the line up that goes out there next."
The Lightning are also riding Andrei Vasilevskiy, once again. He continues to improve game-by-game. In a series where goaltending is the headlining act, the reigning Conn Smythe Award winner continues to prove he can snap back into form — even when he looks woefully out of place like in Game 1.
The big question now heading to New York is if Brayden Point will return to the ice. Jon Cooper has been pretty clear about him being out before every contest, but he offered a different tone on Wednesday talking with a handful of reporters.
“I can honestly answer this question with I don’t know," Cooper answered. "I’ll find out when I get on the plane, so I’ll have an answer for you tomorrow. Now we’re getting into the point every day where I don’t know if there will be definitive outs.”
I am sure some Bolts fans are thinking to let Point rest up while the team is heating up, but on the other hand, this is Brayden Point.
You know, the guy who has led this team in scoring back-to-back postseasons.
You would have to imagine if he can go out there and play – he is going to play. While Cooper is not optimistic about Game 5 when it comes to the Bolts superstar, a decisive Game 6 could be a potential return date, which would be exactly four weeks since his injury in Toronto.
Puck drops inside Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The game airs on ESPN. According to many books in Vegas, the Bolts are slight favorites in Game 5.
Game 5 blog: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers
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FINAL: Lightning 3 | Rangers 1
3rd period
19:01 Brandon Hagel scores, assisted by Nikita Kucherov
18:10 Mikhail Sergachev scores, assisted by Victor Hedman, Steven Stamkos
2nd period
17:34 Mikhail Sergachev score for Lightning
10:29 Ryan Lindgren scores for Rangers
1st period
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