The Tampa Bay Lightning reached their Eastern Conference finals with New York Ranger after scanning Florida Panthers and is a well-rested team, given a nine-day break between series.
Two games in this series, Lightning has failed to perform seriously, looking rusty and out of sync compared to a Rangers team that has found its footing after two consecutive seven-game battles. . New York beat visiting Lightning 6-2 in Game 1. While Game 2 was getting closer, the Rangers were able to play to their tempo and keep Tampa Bay close for a good one. 3-2 . win at Madison Square Garden to lead the series 2-0.
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said: “We’ve had a tough game so far. “I think we’re a good hockey team. We played great hockey in the knockout stages. We figured out how to win the games.”
As the action moves to Tampa, Florida, for Sunday’s Game 3, here are five takeaways from a beautiful opening to the series, as Lightning has gone from plunging straight into three peatlands to fight for life in playoff.
Rangers are real
We’ve seen this before in the Stanley Cup knockouts, haven’t we?
The teams found their identities during the post-season journey. Teams “learn to win” in times of adversity, such as Rangers recovering from a three-overtime loss and losing in a 3-1 series to defeat Pittsburgh Penguinsor gather from the holes 2-0 and 3-2 to upset Hurricane Carolina. Teams suddenly fit together the way their general manager had planned, by getting healthy at the right time or through matching route combinations, such as the hyped Kid Squad. lot of Rangers.
The last four games Rangers have played are the best four they have played in the knockout stages. They are in possession of the puck and buzzing of the attack area. They are getting a balanced score from many lines and many defences. When their system is broken and the opponent has a chance, the goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin It has been phenomenal: a save rate of 0.946, not conceding more than two goals in those four games, while Rangers averaged five goals per game.
“We’ve heard all year that we’re not going to make it to the playoffs. But confidence in the room is very high. Outside opinions don’t affect anyone,” Defenseman said. Adam fox, fox speak. “I don’t think the outside noise or any perception of our team really affects our thinking going into the game.”
The record is over
Since 2020, Lightning has been able to count on one thing consistently: If they lose one match in the knockout, they win the next. They did it three times in the first round against Toronto Maple Leafs. They made 18 consecutive games in the post-season, setting an NHL record. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was 18-0 with an average of 1.49 goals, a save rate of 0.942 and five tackles during that remarkable period.
The Lightning lost Game 1 to Rangers. And after that they lost their achievements in game 2.
“At some point, you’re going to lose two games in a row in the knockouts. The fact that we haven’t had that many years is remarkable. You can take a second here and say, ‘What a shame. a job, boys.’ But for the most part, the streaks will end, and it’s over for us tonight,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Did it get us out of the knockout stages? It’s not. Do we have a hill to climb? No question. I don’t think I’m the obvious Captain when I say that. But I think we have what’s better in us.”
There are some good things Lightning can take away from their Game 2 loss. It was a much tighter matchup than the 6-2 loss in Game 1. They were back to what made them effective – attacking north-south, turning defense into offense and taking over time zones. his – in the second half of Game 2.
But the magic elasticity of recovering from defeats has been absent for Lightning or for Vasilevskiy, who has conceded three goals in all four games he has played after losing these playoffs. .
“There were some positive signs of what happened in the second half of the game. But there’s no moral victory here. We’re still losing,” Cooper said.
Adam Fox is elite
When it comes to young defenders in the NHL, it’s Cale Makarthe world of Adam Fox and Adam Fox lives in it, despite defeat Colorado Avalanche wunderkind for the Norris Trophy last season. Makar is having an incredible post-season, setting a scoring record for defenders and now helping to thwart his otherworldly offense. Connor McDavidOne reason Fox’s playoff tournament isn’t getting the attention it deserves.
Fox has 22 points, putting him among the Rangers’ score leads. He has stepped up their power game, running an active point that keeps the unit in seemingly constant motion. He was averaging 26 minutes, 41 seconds per night going into Game 2. Rangers try to put him out for major defensive missions, such as counters. Nikita Kucherov in the Eastern Conference finals, and he can handle them.
Serious, look at this move to establish Kaapo KakkoObjective of Game 2: Deking Jan Rutta into the Bronx before sending a perfect pass to Kakko for a tip. It was a special run for Fox. Maybe not special Makar, but special nonetheless.
As of 2020, no NHL player has had more post-season goals than Lightning center Brayden Point, who has 30 goals in 53 games out of his 60 points. He suffered a lower body injury in a match against the Maple Leafs in their win over Lightning’s Game 7, passing away just after 5:51. They don’t need him in their second round of sweeping across the Panthers not ready for prime time. But they missed him very much against Rangers.
“In my opinion, he’s one of the best players in the league. I don’t think I’m out of place to say that. He’s a good player and can help tilt the iceberg,” Cooper said. speak. “In a perfect world we’d love to have him back, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t win the playoff series without him.”
Point skated after Lightning trained in full gear, trying to get back into game form and hone his skills so he could return. Having Points back will allow Lightning to put their roster back in the center, but more importantly it will add one of the best two-lane players in the game to their roster.
“He’s continuing to improve. But we’re not sitting here saying he’s going to magically play in Game 3,” Cooper said.
A duel with the (deviated) goalkeeper for the ages
In theory, the battle between Lightning goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy and Rangers goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin is a superstar showdown like Nathan MacKinnon against Connor McDavid in the Western Conference Finals. Vasilevskiy has earned the title of “best goalkeeper in the world” after consecutive Stanley Cups, last season’s Conn Smythe Trophy, 2018-19 Vezina Trophy and leads the NHL in wins for five consecutive seasons. Shesterkin is the challenger for that throne, expected to claim his first Vezina this season and help Rangers move past two wins in a seven-game streak.
So far, the upstart Shesterkin is doing better than the gold standard Vasilevskiy. The Rangers goalkeeper is leading 2-0 with a save rate of 943 and a save rate of 3.24 than expected. Goalkeeper Lightning is 0-2 with a save rate of 0.828 and goals conceded is minus 3.26 than expected, according to evolving Hockey data.
Before the series, Shesterkin said fellow Russian Vasilevskiy was “the best goalkeeper in the world right now.”
And now, after two stellar goalscoring games and a sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd chanting, “Better Igor!” in these victories?
“At the moment, I don’t think it really matters. I still stand my ground,” Shesterkin said through an interpreter. “Andrei is still the best goalkeeper in the world. You can’t forget that this streak is four wins.”
