Game 1 - Tampa Bay @ NY Rangers 1-2 - Sat, May 16 - Smurfs Lead 1-0
Dominic Moore broke a tie with 2:25 remaining to give the Rangers a 2-1 win against the Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden. Derek Stepan scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves for the Rangers, who have won their past four games after trailing 3-1 to the Washington Capitals in the second round. Moore broke a 1-1 tie at 17:35 of the third period. After New York killed its third penalty of the period, Kevin Hayes took a shot from the left wing that Moore redirected past Lightning goalie Ben Bishop for his first goal in 13 games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Moore is playing in the Eastern Conference Final for the fourth time since 2010, which included a trip with the Lightning the following year. His goal Saturday was his 11th in the playoffs since his initial run with the Montreal Canadiens. Ondrej Palat scored and Bishop made 28 saves for the Lightning. Bishop entered the series 8-0-0 against the Rangers with a 1.49 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage in his NHL career. The Rangers won for the seventh time in these playoffs when scoring two goals or fewer (7-2). Each of their 13 games this postseason has been decided by one goal; dating back to last year, they've played 15 straight one-goal playoff games, an NHL record. Stepan gave New York a 1-0 lead with 12.7 seconds left in the second period. Stepan, who sent the Rangers into the third round with an overtime goal in Game 7 against the Capitals, collected the puck after Chris Kreider's shot went off Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr and quickly put it past Bishop, who lost his stick moments earlier. It was Stepan's fourth goal of the playoffs. Palat tied it with a power-play goal 6:45 into the third period. After Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh was whistled for high sticking, Palat one-timed Tyler Johnson's cross-ice feed from the right circle past Lundqvist to make it 1-1. Bishop made his best save of the first period with 12:08 remaining when he managed to get his left arm on a wrist shot from Stepan, who was sent in on a breakaway by Dan Girardi. Hayes had a chance to open the scoring with about three minutes left in the first, but his shot from the slot hit the post after Bishop turned the puck over to Derick Brassard. Girardi had a chance in the final minute of the opening period near the left goal post. With Bishop out of position, Girardi appeared to have an open net to shoot at, but Palat and Nikita Kucherov combined to swat the puck away to keep the game scoreless. New York outshot Tampa Bay 11-7 in the first period. J.T. Miller had a great chance during an abbreviated power play six minutes into the second period. Moments after he exited the penalty box to end a 4-on-4 situation, Miller was robbed on the doorstep where Bishop managed to get his right pad on a rebound chance. Lundqvist responded with 5:06 left in the second, making a terrific save on Palat's redirection of a shot from Nikita Kucherov. The Rangers are 5-0 in the playoffs when leading after two periods. The biggest challenge has been finding a way to get the lead in these low-scoring, one-goal games. Brian Boyle did not play because of an undisclosed injury. He is day-to-day. Ryan Callahan, who had an appendectomy Monday night, played for Tampa Bay. He did not have a shot on goal in 14:46.
Game 2 - Tampa Bay @ NY Rangers 6-2 - Mon, May 18 - Series Tied 1-1
Tyler Johnson had a hat trick, his fourth multigoal game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, to help the Lightning defeat the Rangers 6-2 in Game 2 and even the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden. Johnson, who scored shorthanded, on a power play and at even strength, has 11 goals this postseason. Alex Killorn scored twice and had an assist, Steven Stamkos had one goal and one assist, and Ben Bishop made 35 saves for the Lightning. It was the first playoff hat trick by a Lightning player. Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan scored for the Rangers, who are 2-10 in Game 2 since 2012 and 1-7 after winning the series opener. Henrik Lundqvist made 20 saves and allowed six goals in a playoff game for the first time since his debut on April 22, 2006.
The Rangers played 15 straight one-goal games in the playoffs dating to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. New York had a two-man advantage for 1:07 early in the first period. Brian Boyle, who missed Game 1 because of an undisclosed injury, was penalized for holding at 3:38 before Jason Garrison was given a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass at 4:31. But it was the Lightning who scored shorthanded at 5:38. Just as Boyle's penalty was set to expire, Dan Boyle tried to feed Martin St. Louis, but Johnson seized control of the puck at his blue line and skated in on a breakaway. His shot was denied by Lundqvist, but Johnson's second attempt went over the goal line before the net was knocked off its moorings. It was ruled a good goal after a brief video review. New York tied it 1-1 on their third power play at 8:50 of the first period. With Brenden Morrow in the box for high sticking, Bishop denied St. Louis' redirection of Dan Boyle's shot from the point. Kreider was in front of the net, where he quickly scored his sixth goal of the playoffs. Johnson scored his second of the game, this time on a power play, at 11:15 of the first. Skating 4-on-3 (and the Lightning using four forwards), Johnson took a pass from Stamkos and beat Lundqvist from the left circle to make it 2-1. Johnson completed the hat trick at 8:17 of the second period. At even strength, Ondrej Palat's wrist shot from the left circle hit the goal post and landed in the crease, where Johnson was able to poke it over the line during a scramble. Replays determined that the puck was not kicked in by Nikita Kucherov (three assists), but rather swatted in by Johnson's stick for a 3-1 lead. The line of Johnson, Palat and Kucherov has scored 21 of Tampa Bay's 41 goals this postseason. Stepan got the Rangers within 3-2 when he scored a power-play goal at 14:17 of the second period. After Cedric Paquette was called for interference, Stepan collected Dan Boyle's rebound and put a shot from behind the left side of the net that went off Braydon Coburn and over the goal line to make it 3-2. Stepan has scored in three straight games. Bishop kept the Lightning in front two minutes into the third period when he denied Rick Nash and Jesper Fast back-to-back with pad saves while the Rangers were shorthanded. Killorn gave Tampa Bay a 4-2 lead at 3:09 with his fourth goal of the playoffs. Shortly after a penalty against Stepan expired, Victor Hedman faked a shot and made a cross-ice feed to Killorn, who beat Lundqvist from the right circle. Stamkos gave the Lightning a 5-2 lead when he redirected Coburn's shot past Lundqvist for a power-play goal at 6:28 of the third. Killorn scored his second of the game when he put a rebound past Lundqvist during a power play with 2:02 remaining to make it 6-2.
Tampa Bay was 3-for-6 on the power play. The Lightning have scored 11 power-play goals in their past 26 opportunities. Linesman Brad Kovachik left the game with 7:41 remaining in the second period when he sprained his knee during a collision with Stamkos and Kevin Klein along the boards. Kovachik was replaced by Greg Devorski. The game was delayed about five minutes.
Game 3 - NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay 5-6 OT - Wed, May 20 - Bolts Lead 2-1
For the second straight game, the Lightning and Rangers abandoned the tight-checking, low-scoring approach. And for the second straight game, the Lightning were the beneficiary. Nikita Kucherov scored 3:33 into overtime to give the Lightning a 6-5 win against the Rangers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at Amalie Arena. Kucherov, who has seven goals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, skated into the zone, made a move against Ryan McDonagh and sent a wrist shot past Henrik Lundqvist from between the circles to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. After losing Game 1 by a 2-1 score, the Lightning have scored 12 goals in the past two games. They rallied from a 2-0 deficit in Game 3, then blew a 4-2 lead. Ondrej Palat had two goals and an assist, and Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn scored for the Lightning. Ben Bishop made 23 saves. Jesper Fast scored twice, and Derick Brassard, McDonagh and Dan Boyle each had a goal. Lundqvist made 34 saves for the Rangers, who had won 13 of 16 road games dating to the regular season. Boyle's goal with 1:56 left helped send the game to overtime, but New York fell short in the extra period for the first time in five games this postseason. Lundqvist denied J.T. Brown on a breakaway about a minute before Kucherov's goal. He has allowed five or more goals six times this season; the past four have been against Tampa Bay. Lundqvist is the first Rangers goalie to allow six goals in back-to-back playoff games since Gump Worsley in 1958, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Brassard opened the scoring 1:02 into the game with a power-play goal. After Cedric Paquette was whistled for roughing 26 seconds into the game, Brassard took a pass from Boyle and beat Bishop with a slap shot from the left circle for his sixth goal of the postseason. Lundqvist made his first big save five minutes into the game when he got across the crease to get his left pad on a one-timer by Killorn. He denied Killorn again on a breakaway with 3:17 left in the period. Fast doubled New York's lead at 9:55 of the first period. Matthew Carle took a hit in the neutral zone from Derek Stepan, allowing Chris Kreider to send Fast in on a breakaway, and the latter beat Bishop with a backhand shot to make it 2-0. It was Fast's second goal of the playoffs. Carle left the game after the hit because of an undisclosed injury and did not return. Stamkos got the Lightning within one with his fifth goal of the postseason at 11:07 of the first when he stripped Boyle at Tampa Bay's blue line, creating an odd-man rush the other way. Lundqvist denied Killorn's shot from the left circle, but Stamkos was there for the rebound to make it 2-1. The Lightning capitalized on a hooking penalty against Brassard midway through the second period when Palat scored on the power play. It was the culmination of a brilliant give-and-go with Johnson, who found Palat in the slot for a shot past Lundqvist to make it 2-2 at 10:32. Johnson then gave the Lightning their first lead of the game at 13:17 of the second. With the teams skating 4-on-4, Victor Hedman skated with the puck around the Rangers net and fed Palat at the right circle. Palat sent a feed across to Johnson, who quickly put it past Lundqvist for his playoff-leading 12th goal. Killorn doubled Tampa Bay's lead at 17:18 of the second. After Marc Staal shot wide on a solid chance in the slot, Killorn took a feed from Hedman, made a great move to avoid Boyle and beat Lundqvist with a wrist shot from between the circles to make it 4-2. Fast got the Rangers back within one with his second goal of the game 29 seconds later when he put Kevin Klein's rebound past Bishop. He's the first Rangers rookie to have a multigoal game in the playoffs on the road since Mike Ridley against the Philadelphia Flyers in 1986. New York tied it 2:28 into the third on a power-play goal by McDonagh. After Fast was tripped by Andrej Sustr, Kevin Hayes sent a cross-ice feed to McDonagh, who beat Bishop from the right circle to make it 4-4. New York was 2-for-4 with the man-advantage; Tampa Bay was 1-for-2. Palat broke the tie when he gathered a pass from Nikita Nesterov, moved the puck from his skate to his stick and put a shot past Lundqvist from the slot at 14:05 of the third period. Boyle tied it for the Rangers when he skated to the front of the net, beat Kucherov to Keith Yandle's rebound and poked it past Lundqvist to make it 5-5. With another road game for game 4 of the series, the Rangers know they need to get back to what allowed them to win the series opener; they must tighten up defensively.
Game 4 - NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay 5-1 - Fri, May 22 - Series Tied 2-2
Henrik Lundqvist made 38 saves, and Rick Nash scored twice to help the Rangers defeat the Lightning 5-1 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at Amalie Arena. Martin St. Louis ended a long scoring drought with his first goal of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Keith Yandle had a goal and two assists, Chris Kreider scored, and Kevin Klein had two assists for the Rangers, who tied the best-of-7 series 2-2. Lundqvist allowed 12 goals on 66 shots over the previous two games. He made 18 saves in the second period Friday. It was New York's first win by more than one goal in these playoffs. Ben Bishop made 19 saves; he's allowed five goals in back-to-back games for the first time since March 1 and 5, 2011. Nash gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with his third goal of the postseason at 17:18 of the first period. After Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman got trapped in the Rangers zone, Nash took a pass from Kevin Hayes, powered his way past Cedric Paquette and beat Bishop with a backhand. It was Nash's eighth goal in 57 playoff games. The Lightning tied it 1-1 when Stamkos scored at 11:30 of the second period. After Tampa Bay failed on its third power play, Stamkos one-timed a feed from Alex Killorn from between the circles past Lundqvist. It was Stamkos' sixth goal of the playoffs, all in the past nine games.
The Rangers, outplayed for much of the period, took a 2-1 lead with 4:44 left on Kreider's seventh goal. Bishop denied Klein's wrist shot from the left circle, but Kreider quickly poked the rebound over the goal line. Yandle gave New York a 3-1 lead 1:48 later when his shot from the point went off the leg of Victor Hedman past Bishop. It was Yandle's first goal of the playoffs. New York was outshot 19-6 in the second period. The Rangers are 6-0 in the playoffs when leading after two periods. St. Louis scored 5:08 into the third period on a power play. After being high-sticked by Nikita Nesterov, St. Louis, who hadn't scored since April 6, one-timed Derick Brassard's feed past Bishop from the right circle to make it 4-1. Nash scored his second goal with 8:27 remaining. With Lightning forward Brenden Morrow in the box for hooking, Yandle's shot from the point was redirected by Hayes and denied by Bishop, but Nash jabbed the rebound between the goaltender's skates for his first multigoal playoff game. Matthew Carle did not play because of an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by Mark Barberio, who hadn't played this postseason.
Game 5 - Tampa Bay @ NY Rangers 2-0 - Sun, May 24 - Bolts Lead 3-2
The pain Ben Bishop experienced during warm-ups Sunday paled in comparison to the anguish he caused the Rangers and their fans at Madison Square Garden.
Bishop took a pregame shot he from defenseman Nikita Nesterov after he made 26 saves and Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist to help the Lightning to a 2-0 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final. Valtteri Filppula scored for the Lightning, who lead the best-of-7 series 3-2 and can advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2004 with a win in Game 6 at Amalie Arena on Tuesday. Bishop dropped to the ice when Nesterov's shot struck him in the midsection, but he was ready to go for the opening faceoff. It was Bishop's second shutout of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs; he allowed five goals in each of the previous two games, including a 5-1 loss in Game 4 in Tampa. Henrik Lundqvist made 20 saves for the Rangers, who had difficulty getting into the shooting lanes and went 0-for-4 on the power play. New York scored two goals with a man-advantage in each of the previous three games. Lundqvist made his best save 1:42 into the second period against Stamkos. After Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle turned the puck over in front of the net, Lundqvist came out to challenge and made a glove save on Stamkos' wrist shot from the slot. Bishop responded less than two minutes later when he denied Rangers center Derek Stepan from the left circle after a turnover by Lightning forward Ondrej Palat in the slot. Bishop gobbled up Stepan's shot, not allowing a rebound. The Lightning broke through when Filppula scored at 13:29 of the second. After Tampa Bay killed its fourth penalty of the game, New York center James Sheppard got caught trying to pick off Anton Stralman's outlet pass to Stamkos, and the latter fed Filppula for a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Lundqvist to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead. It was Filppula's third goal of the postseason. Stralman was on the ice for 2:20 leading up to the goal. Stamkos doubled Tampa Bay's lead with a power-play goal at 18:22 of the second period. After Marc Staal was whistled for tripping, Stamkos finished a gorgeous tic-tac-toe passing play with Palat and Nikita Kucherov, tapping Palat's feed past Lundqvist to make it 2-0. Stamkos has scored in four straight games and in six of the past seven games. He has seven goals in the playoffs after failing to score in the first round against the Detroit Red Wings. New York outshot Tampa Bay 6-4 in the first period; there wasn't a shot on goal by either team over the final 9:12, a far cry from the up-and-down style played during Games 3 and 4 at Amalie Arena. The Lightning went 1-for-3 with the man-advantage. New York rallied from a 3-1 series deficit in the second round to defeat the Washington Capitals in seven games. The Rangers have won 14 of their past 17 games when facing elimination since 2012. Braydon Coburn did not play the final two periods because of what is believed to be an illness, but he remained on the Lightning bench. Matthew Carle returned to the lineup after missing Game 4 because of an undisclosed injury. He replaced Mark Barberio.
Game 6 - NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay 7-3 - Tue, May 26 - Series Tied 3-3
Derick Brassard had three goals and two assists to help the Rangers to a 7-3 win against the Lightning in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final at Amalie Arena. The Rangers, who are 15-3 in their past 18 games when facing elimination, tied the best-of-7 series 3-3. Brassard scored early in the first period and then had two more goals in the third to help the Rangers stave off elimination. J.T. Miller and Rick Nash each had a goal and three assists for New York, which scored five goals in the third period and can reach the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight season with another win Friday. Keith Yandle and James Sheppard scored goals. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who made 36 saves, is 9-1 in elimination games since the start of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is 6-1 with a 0.97 goals-against average in Game 7. The Rangers have never lost a Game 7 at home (7-0). Nikita Kucherov had two goals and Ryan Callahan scored for the Lightning. Ben Bishop allowed five goals on 26 shots before being pulled in the third period for Andrei Vasilevskiy, who made six saves. New York scored 3:36 into the game on Brassard's seventh goal of the postseason. Dan Boyle's slap shot from the point didn't make it to the net, but Miller got the puck in the left circle and passed to Brassard, who backhanded it past Bishop to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. Lundqvist helped keep the Lightning scoreless with a save against Stamkos with 5:46 left in the first period. With Marc Staal in the box for holding Brenden Morrow's stick, Stamkos had a golden opportunity right in front of the net, but Lundqvist stretched his left pad across the crease to keep the puck out. Yandle scored at 15:30 of the first to give New York a 2-0 lead. After the penalty against Staal expired, Yandle took a shot from the point that deflected off J.T. Brown in front of the net and past Bishop. It was Yandle's second goal of the postseason. Tampa Bay made it 2-1 on Callahan's first goal of the postseason at 17:20 of the first period. After Chris Kreider took a penalty for cross-checking Stamkos, Anton Stralman made a pass through the neutral zone and sent Callahan on a breakaway. He put a backhand shot past Lundqvist. It was Callahan's first playoff goal since May 19, 2013 against the Boston Bruins, a span of 24 games.
Tampa Bay outshot New York 16-7 in the first period. Lundqvist kept the Rangers in front with a save against former teammate Brian Boyle midway through the second period. Moments after Kucherov finished serving a hooking penalty, he fed Boyle in the slot for a one-timer, but Lundqvist denied it with his left pad. Tyler Johnson nearly tied it with 40 seconds left in the second period, when he came down on a 2-on-1 with Ondrej Palat and made a move around Ryan McDonagh, but Lundqvist handled Johnson's wrist shot to keep New York in front. Miller gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead with his first goal of the playoffs at 3:02 of the third period. Nash started an odd-man rush through the neutral zone and fed Miller, who took a shot from the left circle that was stopped by Bishop. Brassard found the rebound and was somehow denied while Bishop was lying on his back. But Brassard then collected the puck behind the net and fed Miller in front for an easy-tap in. Sheppard put the Rangers up by three at 6:00 with his first goal of the postseason. Dominic Moore got the puck in the slot after it bounced out of a battle along the boards and his wrist shot was denied by Bishop, but Tanner Glass didn't allow the goalie to cover it up and Sheppard knocked it into the net to make it 4-1. Brassard scored his second goal of the game at 7:14. Nash left a drop pass for Miller, who then made a cross-ice feed to Brassard at the right circle for a slap shot. Lightning coach Jon Cooper then pulled Bishop, who was relieved by Vasilevskiy. Kucherov scored for the Lightning 36 seconds later with a wrist shot from the slot to make it 5-2. Nash gave New York a four-goal lead on a power play at 10:21 when he was allowed several attempts in the crease before putting it past Vasilevskiy. It was Nash's fifth goal of the playoffs. Kucherov made it 6-3 with his second goal of the game at 13:21 when he took a cross-ice feed from Johnson and lifted it over Lundqvist. Brassard completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal at 18:19.
The Lightning played without Cedric Paquette, who sustained an undisclosed injury in Tampa Bay's 2-0 win in Game 5 on Sunday. He was replaced by center Vladislav Namestnikov.
Game 7 - Tampa Bay @ NY Rangers 2-0 - Fri, May 29 - Bolts Win 4-3
Ben Bishop made 22 saves, and the Lightning scored twice in the third period in a 2-0 win against the Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final silencing the arrogant crowd at Madison Square Garden. Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat scored for the Lightning, who advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2004. It was a tremendous response by Bishop, who was pulled in the third period of Game 6 after allowing five goals on 26 shots in a 7-3 loss in Tampa. Bishop is 7-1 with a 1.25 goals-against average, a .951 save percentage and two shutouts following a loss in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was his second shutout of the series and third of the postseason. Two of those shutouts have come in Game 7; he shut out the Detroit Red Wings in the deciding game of the first round. He is the third goalie in NHL history with two Game 7 shutouts in a single postseason, joining Patrick Roy (2002) and Tim Thomas (2011). Tampa Bay eliminated three Original Six teams in a row to reach the Cup Final: Detroit, the Montreal Canadiens and the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves for the Rangers, who entered 7-0 in Game 7 at home but were denied a return trip to the Cup Final. Lundqvist had won six consecutive Game 7s, an NHL record. New York, which did not lose three straight home games during the regular season, lost Games 2, 5 and 7 against the Lightning. The Rangers, who won the Presidents' Trophy with 113 points during the regular season, scored four goals at home and 17 in Tampa in the series. The Rangers are the first team in NHL history to be shut out in home in Game 5 and Game 7. Killorn scored 1:54 into the third period when he beat Dominic Moore into the slot and let go a backhand shot that found its way through a crowd and between Lundqvist's pads. It was Killorn's fourth goal of the series and seventh of the playoffs. Bishop kept Tampa Bay in front with his best save of the game 9:21 into the third period when he denied New York centerDerick Brassard from point-blank range after Marc Staal's shot didn't reach the net. Brassard had three goals and two assists in Game 6. Palat doubled Tampa Bay's lead with 8:43 remaining when he took a pass from Tyler Johnson and beat Lundqvist with a wrist shot from the left circle to make it 2-0. It was Palat's seventh goal of the postseason. Lundqvist made his best save of the first period with 7:59 remaining when he knocked Stamkos' redirection of Matthew Carle's shot from the left point on top of the net to keep the game scoreless. Lundqvist made another big save with 3:55 left in the second period when he got his left shoulder on Jason Garrison's shot from the left circle after Garrison received a nice cross-ice feed from Palat. Two minutes later, Lundqvist got his right pad across the crease to rob Johnson from point-blank range after Nikita Kucherov sent a pass from behind the net. Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh played 1:47 in the first period because of a broken foot sustained earlier in the series, coach Alain Vigneault said. He did not practice Thursday. He finished with 16:41 of ice time. New York dressed seven defensemen for the first time this postseason. Matt Hunwick played for the first time since April 24; center James Sheppard, who scored in Game 6, was scratched.
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