Tampa Bay Lightning

After being broadsided by the Rangers in the first two games of the series in New York, the Lightning played with their characteristic speed and discipline ...

They overcame a three-games-to-one deficit in the first round to beat the Penguins and knocked off the Hurricanes by winning Game 7 on the road. Whether the Rangers will be at full strength is a question. It was Maroon’s third goal of the playoffs and an ominous sign for the Rangers, who were beaten by a Lightning fourth line that played like it was on a power play. The Rangers are not done, of course. As the Rangers learned in their two losses in Tampa, the Lightning are a cut above. They were faster to the puck, scooped up rebounds and pushed the Rangers around, allowing them to spend significant portions of the game in the offensive zone. Kucherov broke away and put the puck between Shesterkin’s pads for a 2-0 Tampa Bay lead. Soon after, the Rangers faced another test when their enforcer, Ryan Reaves, was called for tripping. Their goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, regained the confidence that eluded him in the first two games. The Lightning wanted to build on their Game 3, come-from-behind victory and continue their march toward a third straight Stanley Cup title. They beat the more-experienced Pittsburgh Penguins, then knocked off the Carolina Hurricanes, who won the Metropolitan Division over the Rangers. If you ordered a Stanley Cup contender from the Hockey Team Factory, the Lightning would show up on your doorstep.

Pat Maroon helped Tampa Bay take the early lead with a goal just 2:38 into the first period, and Steven Stamkos scored in the third. The Lightning's Ondřej ...

The Lightning’s Ondřej Palát earned two assists and added an empty-netter with 8.7 left in regulation, while Nikita Kucherov earned a team-high 21st postseason point with a breakaway goal in the second period, which would hold as the game winner. Pat Maroon helped Tampa Bay take the early lead with a goal just 2:38 into the first period, and Steven Stamkos scored in the third. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Rangers on Tuesday with a 4-1 victory in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final at Amalie Arena, evening the series at 2-2.

Radio broadcaster Dave Mishkin recaps Tampa Bay's Game 4 victory over the Rangers.

In the closing minutes and with the Rangers on a six-on-five, Vasilevskiy made two more saves and the Lightning blocked three shots. Just as the Rangers did at MSG in Games One and Two, the Lightning held serve at home. Andrei Vasilevskiy was tested more in the third than in either of the first two frames, but was up to the challenge. Even with more limited possession time, the Lightning continued to create looks of their own and cashed in on one of them. The third period was filled with whistles and stoppages, so there wasn't as much flow to the game as there had been in the opening 40 minutes. Compared to Game Three, a contest in which the Lightning outshot the Rangers, 52-30, and held an 86-51 advantage in attempts, New York owned more possession in Game Four. But the Lightning delivered a top-notch defensive performance.

The NHL Eastern Conference Finals are even at 2-2 as the New York Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 5 of the series at Madison Square Garden in ...

Prochazka. Those events cost extra, but are still exclusive to the ESPN+ service. The Rangers are 24-5-3 in games they score at least one power-play goal. Cable packages like Spectrum, Verizon and DirecTV don’t include ESPN Plus, so if you want the service’s exclusive coverage, you’re going to have to pay or find a bar that has the event on. The subscription doesn’t include access to certain pay-per-view events, such as UFC 275: Texeira vs. The Lightning are at -130 for Game 5. It also has its own original TV series, and your subscription gets you access to exclusive content from ESPN Insider on ESPN.com. The teams meet Tuesday for the sixth time this season. We’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, Caesars Sportsbook and BetRivers. The Lightning won 4-1 in the last matchup. If you’re looking to save on a lot of streaming content, the Disney Plus Bundle includes subscriptions to Hulu ($5.99), ESPN Plus ($6.99) and Disney Plus ($7.99) for just $13.99/month. You’re getting one of the services for free when you subscribe to all three. BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the New York Rangers for game five of the third round of the NHL Playoffs with the series tied 2-2. The NHL Eastern Conference Finals are even at 2-2 as the New York Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 5 of the series at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, June 9 (6/9/2022) at 8 p.m. ET.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have adjusted to a decrease in offensive production by becoming more proficient in their defensive end.

The Lightning have come to realize that depth matters, no matter if it is in the offensive or defensive zones. Jim Bay writes about the Tampa Bay Lightning for THW. A retired Special Education Teacher, Jim enjoys writing about hockey and all sports when he is not slashing his way around local golf courses. A formula that has led to two Stanley Cups, with a third being ever closer in sight. It’s tough to rely on power plays for continued success in the playoffs though, but it is at least comforting to know that the unit is still successful. In the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, their expected goals dropped to 1.85. They were a little better in the Florida series, and have even improved somewhat in the current series with the New York Rangers. Good timing for the Lightning as they are facing one of the top goalies in the NHL in Igor Shesterkin. When they struggle, those things do not happen and they lose, sometimes in a big way. While the defensive effort may have decreased their scoring numbers, they still get goals when they need them. They were able to rebound in April to look more like the unit that was so proficient in last year’s playoffs. In mid-March, their power play was just average, ranking 16th in the NHL. This was highlighted by a 1-for-19 drought with the man-advantage over a six-game stretch. Just a few years ago, the Lightning were the top-scoring team in the NHL. From 2017 to 2020, they were the highest-scoring team in the NHL in 5v5 situations. Thankfully, he was able to return for the playoffs. He has been a vital cog in the scoring success, especially in the playoffs.

After a four game sweep against the Florida panthers, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a long layoff in between rounds. Was it too long?

It would have been the first Stanley Cup final sweep in the salary cap era. As much as fans would love to get the brooms out and see a sweep, maybe it’s better for their own team if the other team wins a game or two. The Rangers advanced after back-to-back game seven victories in the past two rounds. Since the 2019 playoffs when Columbus surprised everybody, and up until these playoffs, there have been seven series of a four-game sweep. Remember when the Tampa Bay Lightning jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game one against the Columbus Blue Jackets? Remember how we all though Columbus didn’t stand a chance? Yes, that was the sweep heard around the hockey world.

That's the thought that courses through my mind after witnessing the two suffocating showings in Games Three and Four after the team opened up so poorly on the ...

Still, his overaggressiveness and apparent five-hole weakness (he's somehow allowed the most five-hole goals of anyone this postseason) were exploited in Games Three and Four. Additionally, Tampa Bay reassert themselves defensively during the two-game homestand, limiting New York's ability to transition, thwarting their efforts to enter the offensive zone cleanly, and forcing them to the perimeter to keep the slot clear. The Lightning did all that and more en route to evening the series and altering the entire atmosphere between the two teams. I mentioned in previous MATs that the Lightning needed to get back to their style of hockey—slow down New York's rush chances, force them to cycle, and limit the number of turnovers. That's the thought that courses through my mind after witnessing the two suffocating showings in Games Three and Four after the team opened up so poorly on the road. However, series aren't won in Games One or Two—they're not won in Games Three and Four either, but the momentum generated from the latter games appears to influence a series differently.

Perhaps the biggest sign that a team has entered its own class in the NHL is that it can play any way it has to, or wants to, to win.

In both Games 3 and 4, in the first two periods of each, the Lightning have committed to cutting off the space the Rangers were galavanting through in the series’ first two games. The Rangers didn’t get to the man-advantage until deep in the third last night. It’s amazing how quickly Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp turn back into Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp when not given a national park’s worth of space through the neutral zone. So they liked it so much they went for it again in last night’s last 20, piling up 16 shots, more than they had in the first two periods combined. Sure, the Rangers outshot the Lightning through the first two periods last night, 22-15. And the Rangers don’t have trap-busters, or as many as you might think. In the first two games against the Rangers in New York, the Lightning looked… You don’t win two Cups in a row though without the ability to shift gears and recognize what’s in front of you. And the Rangers are the first team in this Lightning run to pick up that outside of Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev, the Lightning defenders are slow. The Rangers had been springing out of their zone and launching stretch passes through the neutral zone left and right, and entering the Tampa zone in 3-on-2s and 4-on-3s all the time. The Lightning are showing in their Eastern Conference Final that they can have a Plan B or Plan C when they need it. Perhaps the biggest sign that a team has entered its own class in the NHL is that it can play any way it has to, or wants to, to win.

The Tampa Bay Lightning evened their Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers and keeping their bid for a Stanley Cup alive.

… New York forward Filip Chytil left just past the midpoint of the second period after a hit by Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. He missed the rest of the game with an upper-body injury. “We had a bit of a layoff, and I think now we’re starting to find our game. “We’re looking forward to that challenge, but I really like where our game is now compared to where it was a couple days ago.” Palat added an empty-netter with 8.7 seconds remaining, finishing with a goal and two assists. They collapsed pretty good in the ‘D’ zone. It’s great, much better than the position we were in a couple days ago.

John Romano | Days after looking like a bewildered bunch, the Lightning have regrouped again to tie the series against the Rangers.

After giving up almost four power plays a game in the first three games, the Lightning had only two on Tuesday night. The long layoff after the sweep of Florida may have caused the Lightning to get off to a slow start in New York, but it shouldn’t have led to as many silly mistakes. We’re a better team (statistically) than they are 5-on-5 in the playoffs. They also struggled 5-on-5 in the first two games of the Toronto series, getting outscored 5-2 before coming back to outscore the Maple Leafs the rest of the way. And they took it to us. “Don’t underestimate how hard it is to play in the playoffs. Basically, the Lightning got back to doing what made them Stanley Cup champions the past two years. “I don’t think we were really satisfied or encouraged with our effort the first two games, and we knew we were going to make some adjustments,” said captain Steven Stamkos, who scored a third-period goal on a rebound Tuesday night. They weren’t quite facing the abyss in the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers, but they were close enough to feel a cool breeze at their backs. And it isn’t the first time the Lightning have done it. It is frustrated, but never panics. It is unhappy, but never exasperated.

It's a whole new series now as the Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers Tuesday night. The win ties the series at 2 games ...

The Tampa Bay Lightning have clawed their way back into the Eastern Conference final as they head up the coast to take on the New York Rangers at Madi...

Lighting 1P ML 2-way (-135): We like the Lightning to come out of the gates hot on Thursday night. Under 7.5 goals + Lightning ML (-103): Using our pre-packaged offerings, we can get Tampa Bay moneyline with a teased under at just about even odds. But even if they do, expect Tampa Bay to take advantage of a worn-down centre position. Chytil has scored seven playoff goals for the Rangers and is averaging just over 13-minutes of ice time per night. The pregame narrative: If you come at the champs, you better throw your best punch. Chances for

The Tampa Bay Lightning have officially clawed their way back into the Eastern Conference Final. The Lightning took control of the game in the opening ...

Palat was the star of the play, as he whipped a terrific pass to Kucherov from center-ice on a rope to set up the breakaway. It marked the third consecutive game in which Kucherov scored a goal and it was also his sixth point during that stretch. Vasilevskiy didn't surrender a goal until Artemi Panarin scored on a rebound with just 3:33 remaining in the final period.

Sending our condolences to Tampa Bay Lightning Assistant Coach Derek Lalonde and his family after the passing of his mom, Donna. The Lightning won it for ...

If it goes five, it gets a little dicey.”— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) June 7, 2022 But if there’s a chance to win and they need him in a Game 7, they’ll talk about risking it. The way I read this is if the Lightning were almost out of the series (ie. down 3-1 in Game 5) they wouldn’t try and push Point to play and possibly further injure him. Nikita Kucherov scored the game winner, with Pat Maroon, Steven Stamkos, and Ondřej Palat all scoring for the Lightning in the win.” Those 21 goals in 15 games have been critical to the Lightning winning in the playoffs, especially against the Rangers. Meanwhile the ever-important fourth line has a combined 10 goals in the playoffs, adding supporting scoring when it’s needed most. Also to sister Jazan and of course his father, Jack. Lalonde will obviously miss tonight’s Game 4 in Tampa Bay— Bucci (@Buccigross) pic.twitter.com/YPdUZdXw1i June 7, 2022

Chris Krenn on a return to form, Hagel's fight providing a spark and Vasilevskiy finding his game.

It's another to be a star and be as humble as Vasilevskiy is. After standing on his head with a 49-save shutout to close out the series against Florida, Vasilevskiy was asked about giving up one goal in his past seven series-clinching games. The 'Big Cat' stopped 62 of 65 shots in Games 3 and 4 for a .954 save percentage over the two games. Just to play on that line, he's on the ice with some darn good players on our team and their team. "It was great," said Stamkos. "The crowd got going. Once again, it was Palat making a great play to set up the Lightning's third goal of the game and give them a commanding lead in the final period. New York outshot Tampa Bay 12-7 in the middle frame and it felt like the Bolts needed some kind of spark to get things back on track. There was a lot of consistency on display from the Lightning in Games 3 and 4. They're swinging for the fences and those are fun fights to watch and obviously it's fun for us because you never see guys like that fight, so it gets the boys going. We were a little sloppy with the puck and that's been a lot better. Tampa Bay sat back on their heels a little bit in the second period, but Andrei Vasilevskiy was there when they needed him to make a big save. New York may not have expected Tampa Bay to regroup as fast as they did, as Palat fed a perfect pass through the neutral zone that sprung Kucherov back into the Rangers zone before he ripped a quick shot through the five hole of Shesterkin to push the lead to 2-0.

The New York Rangers have been in a similar position before in this postseason — looking to reverse the momentum back home after dropping two games on the ...

“It’s a best of three in the Eastern Conference finals and it’s something to be excited about as a group," defenseman Jacob Trouba said. “It’s gonna be a battle,” the coach said. Chytil left Tuesday night's game just past the midpoint of the second period after a hit by Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman. He missed the rest of the game with an upper-body injury. They also know what they need to improve on from the last two games — play more physical and do a better job of getting inside scoring chances against Andrei Vasilevskiy. “They have an even exceptional power play, and so I spoke to Captain Obvious,” Cooper said. The Lightning turned it around in this series by tightening up defensively, clogging New York's passing lanes and forcing most of the Rangers' shots to come from outside. Playing with an increased level of urgency, Tampa Bay — which has won 10 straight playoff series the last three postseasons — was also more disciplined in staying out of the penalty box. They were outscored 7-3 in the two games in Tampa. In the first round against Pittsburgh, they returned home after falling into a 3-1 series hole and won three straight to advance. “They didn’t create a whole lot of scoring chances either, but they haven’t made the mistakes and I think that’s from experience from winning teams. “They haven’t made any mistakes, we haven’t had a lot of scoring chances,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “I think we’re probably in the best spot we’ve been through three series," forward Andrew Copp said Wednesday. "We got two games at home.

New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant is a skeptic when it comes to playoff momentum. Sure, the Tampa Bay Lightning have put pressure back on the Rangers by ...

We're going to go home and do what we can to win a game." And tactically, the Rangers coach believes that having the last change has been "a little bit bigger" in this series than some others. Strome was a late scratch because of a lower-body injury, while Chytil (upper-body) went out in the second period after a hit from Tampa's Victor Hedman. "I think that's a big game-changer for us." And they'll need to kickstart the offense after a 4-1 loss in Tampa. "Any time things are going well, they're behind you and increasing that momentum and snowballing a little bit," Copp said.