Rangers Take 2-0 Series Lead Heading to Tampa

It didn't take the Lightning long to strike in Game 1. Following a penalty by Ryan Reaves, Nikita Kucherov scored on the powerplay for his first goal of the series.

K'Andre Miller answered for the Rangers on a favorable bounce for the Rangers. Following a blocked shot from Brandon Hagel, Miller got the puck back immediately and put the puck in the back of the net.

The Rangers' "Kid Line" did not take long to get involved in Game 2. Kaapo Kakko scored on a back door bank shot to put the Blueshirts ahead 2-1.

There was no scoring in the second period. Similar to Game 1, the Rangers seemed to control the pace of play and hold possession for most of the game. We haven't seen the Lightning on their heels like this since the first round against the Maple Leafs.

Mika Zibanejad continued his hot streak and scored early into the third period to put his team up 3-1.

The Lightning would not go away easily. Nick Paul scored with the extra attacker on to bring the Lightning within one goal with just over two minutes remaining.

Despite the late push, the Rangers held on to take Game 2 by a score of 3-2. Once again, Igor Shesterkin was superb. He made 29 saves on 31 shots for a .935 save percentage. Chants of "Igor's better" reigned down in Madison Square Garden through much of the game.

The Lightning dropped consecutive playoff games for the first time since being swept by the Blue Jackets in 2019. They head home down 0-2. 93% of teams with a 2-0 lead go on to win the series in the NHL playoffs. History and statistics are on the Rangers side for the remainder of this series.

Don't count out the Lightning yet. They are still the two time defending champions, and they're headed home for Games 3 & 4. The Rangers have played much better at home this postseason than they have on the road. Game 3 will be a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m.

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