TAMPA, FL (AP) – Stephen Stamkos has scored two goals and two-time Tampa Bay defender Lightning heads to the Stanley Cup final for the third year in a row after defeating the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Saturday night.
Stamkos put Lightning ahead forever in the third period just 21 seconds after Frank Vatrano of New York scored a goal in a power play with the Lightning captain in the penalty area.
Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat assisted the winner in the remaining 6 1/2 minutes, as the puck deviated from Stamkos’ knee in the net after Rangers goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin stopped the initial shot. Stamkos also scored when hitting the wrist from the top of the right circle in the middle of the second period.
Andrei Vassilevsky finished with 20 saves for Lightning, who won the series 4-2 – four consecutive wins after losing in the first two games on the road – to qualify for the Stanley Cup final against Colorado Avalanche.
Lightning is the first team to make three consecutive Cup finals since Edmonton made it from 1983-85. They are trying to become the first to win three consecutive championships since the New York Islanders won four consecutive championships in 1980-83.
The Rangers, who lost 3-2 in a series for the third straight round, were 5-0 in the elimination games this postseason before Saturday night.
The only teams to win six or more elimination games in one postseason were the New York Islanders (eight), the 2014 Los Angeles Kings (seven) and the 2003 Minnesota Wild (six).
The Rangers missed three of their first four games before winning three straight elimination games to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. They lost the first two away to Carolina before bouncing back to drive out the Hurricanes in seven games to reach the East Finals.
It was a very different story on Saturday night, with Lightning limiting New York’s goal opportunities to beating Rangers 31-21.
Vassilevski went through long distances without being tested. He faced just seven strokes in the opening period, six in the second and eight in the third.
Shesterkin, meanwhile, stopped 29 of 31 shots and made a big save after a big save to give New York a chance.
NOTES: Lightning played again without striker Braden Point, who missed 10 games after suffering a lower body injury during Tampa Bay’s 7-game victory over Toronto in the first round. He was the NHL’s leading scorer in the previous two seasons. Lightning defender Victor Hedman withdrew in the second period after appearing with an elbow to the head by Alexis Lafrenier of New York. He returned at the beginning of the third period.
Game 1 is Wednesday night in Denver. Watch it on Sportsnet at 20:00 ET / 17:00 PT.
Add Comment