The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Rangers 6-2 on Saturday night, powered by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, who each registered a goal and two assists. The Lightning extended their strong recent form, having won six of their last seven games. Point’s goal brought his season total to 23, just one behind NHL leader Leon Draisaitl of Edmonton. Anthony Cirelli and Ryan McDonagh each scored short-handed goals, while Jake Guentzel and Nick Paul also found the back of the net. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 42 saves in the victory.
The Rangers, struggling with a 4-14 record in their past 18 games, were unable to recover after a rough second period. Artemi Panarin scored a power-play goal, and Vincent Trocheck added a short-handed goal, but the team’s defense and goaltending faltered. Igor Shesterkin was pulled after allowing five goals on 13 shots in the second period, with Jonathan Quick stepping in but allowing one goal on 12 shots. The Rangers’ troubles were compounded by a lack of offense, as they were outshot 17-6 in the first period and failed to capitalize on key moments.
A pivotal moment came late in the first period when Ryan McDonagh scored a short-handed goal to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead. McDonagh’s goal, which came while the Rangers were on a power play, saw him skate end-to-end and fire a shot through Shesterkin’s legs at 18:11. Despite being outshot in the opening frame, the Lightning took control of the game and pulled away with three goals in the second period, including Point’s 23rd of the season.
On the Rangers’ side, veteran forward Chris Kreider made his return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch in the previous game against New Jersey. Despite his return, the Rangers were unable to turn the tide, and their defense and goaltending issues were a major factor in their loss. The game also marked Shesterkin’s third time being pulled in a game this season, further highlighting the struggles the team has faced.
The win for Tampa Bay saw some franchise milestones, including captain Victor Hedman becoming the franchise leader in games played, surpassing Steven Stamkos with 1,083 games. Cirelli also made history by becoming the fourth Lightning player to record two short-handed points in a single game. The Lightning’s victory marks their 10th game in franchise history with two short-handed goals, the first since March 2020. Looking ahead, the Rangers will face Florida on Monday, while Tampa Bay hosts Montreal on Sunday.
