Stepan, Lundqvist Shine in Rangers Comeback Victory over Tampa Bay
@RNYRF Staff Report
Another bittersweet victory for the Rangers. Having already lost Captain Ryan McDonagh to a right hand injury for the remainder of the season and possibly into the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers may have lost stalwart defenseman Dan Girardi after a vicious hit from behind by former Ranger Brian Boyle late in the third period. Boyle not known for being a "dirty" type of player nailed Girardi sending him awkwardly into the boards behind the Rangers net. Girardi did not move for awhile prompting trainer Jim Ramsay to attend to the fallen Ranger on the ice. When Girardi finally stirred and sat up he looked dazed and glassy eyed and was helped off the ice by Ramsay and teammates to the New York Locker Room. Boyle received a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for the hit. No update on Girardi's condition has been given by the Rangers as of yet.
Heading into the contest versus a depleted but desperate to clinch a playoff spot Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers pulled off a comeback win in front of the home crowd. Looking very over matched during the first period the Rangers were out shot 19-7 and out scored 2-0 by the Lightning come first intermission. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist surrendered the 2 goals by Lightning's Andrej Sustr and former Ranger Brian Boyle during a Tampa power play on the first 9 shots against. A very disappointing first period for the Rangers and their fans. The first period witnessed a very weird call on the ice when Rangers 4th liner Tanner Glass received a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for interference on Tampa's Vladislav Namestnikov. Replays of the infraction seemed to show that the call was very "soft" on the part of the officials and did not warrant the penalties to Glass. The Rangers started their comeback rally when Rangers center Derek Stepan cut the lead in half on the power play scoring his 21st of the season at 16:55 into the second period. A much stronger effort by the Rangers in the middle frame with Lundqvist making save after save in a period dotted by many power play opportunities for Tampa Bay. The second period ended 2-1 in favor of the Lightning. The Rangers continued their advance on Tampa when Derek Stepan scored his 2nd of the game just 2:33 into the period on another feed from Mats Zuccarello to knot the game at two. The Rangers took the lead for good at 4:46 of the closing period with their 3rd unanswered goal of the game on a goal by resurgent winger Chris Kreider. The Rangers closed out the contest on the power play after Boyle's hit from behind penalty picking up a very 2 important points in an effort to regain 2nd place in the Metro from Pittsburgh and looking for home ice advantage come playoffs.
Henrik Lundqvist finished the game with 39 saves on 41 shots making up for the 2 goals on 9 shots in the first period and keeping the Rangers in the game to help pull out the comeback win. Derek Stepan finished the night with 2 goals and an assists earning him the first star of the game along with team awarded Broadway Hat. Mats Zuccarello tallied 2 assists on the night and Keith Yandle picked up his team leading 41st assist of the season.
The Rangers return to action on Thursday, April 9th hosting division rivals the New York Islanders.
FINAL STATS
Rangers 3 Lightning 2 FINAL
SOG: NYR 28 TBL 41
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Period
02:42 TBL Andrej Sustr (4) Wrist shot - ASST: Vladislav Namestnikov (20), Jonathan Marchessault (11) 1 - 0 TBL
06:07 TBL PPG - Brian Boyle (13) Tip-in - ASST: Ondrej Palat (23), Tyler Johnson (24) 2 - 0 TBL
2nd Period
16:55 NYR PPG - Derek Stepan (21) Snap shot - ASST: Mats Zuccarello (34), Keith Yandle (41) 2 - 1 TBL
3rd Period
02:33 NYR Derek Stepan (22) Slapshot - ASST: Mats Zuccarello (35), Kevin Klein (16) 2 - 2 Tie
04:46 NYR Chris Kreider (21) Backhand shot - ASST: Marc Staal (13), Derek Stepan (30) 3 - 2 NYR
PENALTY SUMMARY
1st Period
04:38 NYR Dylan McIlrath Hooking - 2 min against Valtteri Filppula
09:25 NYR Henrik Lundqvist served by Tanner Glass Delaying Game-Puck over glass - 2 min against Mike Blunden
12:47 TBL Erik Condra Hooking - 2 min against Mats Zuccarello
15:57 NYR Tanner Glass served by J.T. Miller Interference (maj) - 5 min against Vladislav Namestnikov
15:57 NYR Tanner Glass Game misconduct - 10 min against Vladislav Namestnikov
2nd Period
05:42 NYR Derick Brassard Delaying Game-Puck over glass - 2 min against Valtteri Filppula
09:46 TBL Cedric Paquette Roughing - 2 min against Keith Yandle
09:46 NYR Keith Yandle Roughing - 2 min against Cedric Paquette
09:46 NYR Keith Yandle served by Chris Kreider Roughing - 2 min against Cedric Paquette
12:43 TBL Ondrej Palat Delaying Game-Puck over glass - 2 min against Chris Kreider
16:47 TBL Nikita Kucherov Interference - 2 min against Mats Zuccarello
19:46 NYR Chris Kreider Hooking - 2 min against Nikita Kucherov
3rd Period
00:30 TBL Nikita Nesterov Tripping - 2 min against Derek Stepan
08:23 TBL J.T. Brown Tripping - 2 min against Eric Staal
18:52 TBL Brian Boyle Boarding - 2 min against Dan Girardi
18:52 TBL Brian Boyle Game misconduct - 10 min against Dan Girardi
FINAL TEAM STATS
POWER PALYS NYR 1/5 TBL 1/6
HITS: NYR 32 TBL 15
FACEOFF WINS: NYR 29 TBL 26
GIVEAWAYS: NYR 10 TBL 11
TAKEAWAYS: NYR 15 TBL 11
BLOCKED SHOTS: NYR 13 TBL 8
PIM: NYR 27 TBL 27
RANGERS FACEOFF %: BRASSARD 69%, STEPAN 50%, MOORE 60%, E STAAL 38%, STALBERG 0%
THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. NYR DEREK STEPAN: 2 GOALS, ASSIST
2. NYR HENRIK LUNDQVIST: 41 SAVES
3. TBL Onsrej Palat: 1 Assist
BROADWAY HAT: DEREK STEPAN
NYR Alumni Birthdays 4/6
Bob Crawford RW (1986-1987) Willie Nieminen LW (2005-2006) Doug Stevenson G (1944-1945)
TODAY IN NYR HISTORY APRIL 6
1980: Ron Duguay scores a goal nine seconds into the contest, setting a Rangers record for the fastest goal to start a game. The Rangers would go on to beat the Flyers, 8-3, in Philadelphia.
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