The Backcheck: Flurry of goals sees Lightning road trip end with win over Rangers
Lightning Dominate Rangers with Power Play and Vasilevskiy’s Stellar Performance
The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 10-1 shot disadvantage in the first period to secure a dominant 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
Despite being under heavy pressure early on, the Lightning responded with a flurry of goals, scoring three times in just 1 minute and 45 seconds to take a 3-0 lead before eventually sealing the win.
Coach Jon Cooper praised the team’s ability to capitalize on opportunities: “Big time players making big time plays,” he said. “We buried the chances we got, and then the goalie did the rest for us.”
Nikita Kucherov led the charge, scoring his 34th goal of the season on a power-play setup from Brayden Point. Yanni Gourde followed up just 44 seconds later, and Point added a power-play goal of his own to make it 3-0 by the end of the first period.
Point, who scored twice and assisted on another, marked his third consecutive season with 40 goals—a feat that ties the Lightning’s record. Kucherov also recorded his 80th assist of the season, joining hockey legends Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Paul Coffey as one of only four players in NHL history to achieve this milestone in three straight seasons.
“I think the way Kucherov sees the game is amazing,” said Point. “He’s the best player on our team, and it’s incredible to play with him.”
The Rangers managed to pull one back early in the second period with Mika Zibanejad scoring on a power play, but Andrei Vasilevskiy, who finished with 39 saves, was relentless in his netminding. The Lightning goalie stopped 17 of 18 shots in the second period alone and made a crucial glove save on Alexis Lafrenière’s close-range attempt in the third.
Point added his second power-play goal of the game to seal the 5-1 win, with Tampa Bay finishing 3-for-4 on the power play. Coach Cooper emphasized the importance of the power play and Vasilevskiy’s performance in the victory: “Tonight, the power play was clearly the difference, and our goalie.”
Kucherov, Point, and Jake Guentzel all finished with three points each in the game, while Kucherov’s performance helped him tie Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL scoring lead with 115 points for the season.
The Lightning will return to AMALIE Arena for a four-game homestand, starting with a 7 p.m. matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. With just two points separating the teams in the standings, the game is expected to be a crucial one as both teams push for playoff positioning.
“We know it’s gonna be a huge game for our team,” said Guentzel. “Going back home in front of our fans, it’s going to be a playoff-like game, and obviously, we’re really excited for that.”
Benjamin’s Three Stars:
- Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (39 saves, win)
- Brayden Point, TBL (2 goals, assist)
- Nikita Kucherov, TBL (Goal, 2 assists)