Rangers vs Lightning

TAMPA -- After going through several lengthy scoring slumps during the regular season, Alex Killorn is hot at the right time for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Killorn had a goal and an assist in the Lightning's 6-5 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday against the New York Rangers. He has three goals and two assists in the past two games and at least a point in six of the past eight Stanley Cup Playoff games.

As the "Triplets" line of Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat is justifiably earning the headlines, Killorn has found his scoring touch playing on a line with Steven Stamkos and Valtteri Filppula.

"I think with Filppula and Stamkos we've found some chemistry, for sure," Killorn, 25, said. "We all know our role and what we bring to the line. I like to go into the corners and get the puck for those guys, and Filppula just opens up the whole ice. [Stamkos] likes to shoot it, but he wants us to shoot it as well."

Killorn's nine shots on goal led the Lightning on Wednesday.

TAMPA -- Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matthew Carle left Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at 9:55 of the first period following a collision in the neutral zone with New York Rangers center Derek Stepan.

Carle did not return to the game because of an undisclosed injury.

TAMPA -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are confident they can skate with and beat the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final. They proved it in a 6-2 win in Game 2 on Monday.

It was the third straight Game 2 in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs that the Lightning have won by a four-goal margin.

The Rangers are confident they can rebound from what captain Ryan McDonagh referred to as a selfish, embarrassing and uncharacteristic effort in Game 2 with a strong performance in Game 3 on Wednesday at Amalie Arena (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

It was the Rangers worst loss since a 5-1 loss to the Lightning on Nov. 17.

"We got beat 6-2, and that's something that doesn't happen to us very regularly," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said, "so I think our guys are going to respond well tonight."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault has stressed the need for more from his top players but has done all he can do to avoid calling them out by name in his two sessions with the media since the end of a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final.

But Vigneault couldn't duck the obvious in his press conference Tuesday.

Asked specifically about slumping left wing Rick Nash, who has two goals on 50 shots in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Vigneault basically said the Rangers won't win if they don't get more out of the player who scored 42 goals in the regular season.

"He's working extremely hard, he's getting physically involved, he's getting some looks," Vigneault said of Nash. "Would I like him to finish on some of those looks? Yes. Do we need him to finish on those looks if we intend to win? Probably yes. He knows that. But this is a team game, a team concept. We need all to be better from our goaltender out. Our defensive group needs to be better. These guys (the Lightning) have obviously got great offensive lines and our forwards need to challenge their group, not just Rick Nash."

TAMPA -- The Tampa Bay Lightning solved the riddle of New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final and will try to ride the momentum of the 6-2 win into Game 3 at Amalie Arena on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

The best-of-7 series is tied 1-1.

Despite the strong offensive showing Monday, the Lightning don't want to be satisfied with one good performance, defenseman Victor Hedman said.

"We don't have time for a [letdown]," Hedman said. "There's four teams left and we have to stay focused and play like we did [Monday]. We took some penalties and got some momentum off those kills, and being able to score that shorthanded goal was huge. Now we're excited to go back home and play in front of our fans."

For additional insight into the New York Rangers during the Eastern Conference Final series, NHL.com has enlisted the help of Dave Farrish to break down the action. Farrish will be checking in throughout the series.

Farrish was an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs from 2005-14. He won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007. He also coached 1,027 games in the minor leagues, including the American Hockey League. In addition, Farrish, a former defenseman, played 430 games over seven seasons in the NHL.

Dave Farrish had a gut feeling before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final between the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.

"It's funny because I said to my wife before the game, 'I bet you the Lightning win 6-2 tonight,'" Farrish said. "Honestly."

Farrish was spot on. The Lightning beat the Rangers 6-2 behind Tyler Johnson's hat trick that featured a shorthanded goal, a power-play goal, and an even-strength goal. Alex Killorn scored twice, Steve Stamkos had a goal, and Ben Bishop made 35 saves.

NEW YORK -- The Tampa Bay Lightning looked overmatched and out of place on the big stage of the Eastern Conference Final in Game 1 on Saturday. They jumped on Tyler Johnson's diminutive shoulders in Game 2 on Monday and looked like they could be good enough to win the Stanley Cup in a 6-2 victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

"In Game 1, we participated in the hockey game," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said, "and in Game 2 we came to win a hockey game. That was the difference."

NEW YORK -- The good news for the New York Rangers is that they've traveled this road before in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For the third straight series, the Rangers hit the road after splitting the first two games at Madison Square Garden. The Tampa Bay Lightning evened the Eastern Conference Final on Monday with a 6-2 victory in Game 2. Game 3 is scheduled Wednesday at Amalie Arena (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

The Rangers found themselves in a 1-1 series deadlock with the Pittsburgh Penguins before winning three straight games in the Eastern Conference First Round. They split the first two games against the Washington Capitals in the second round, then fell behind 3-1 before winning the series in seven games.

But each of the games in the opening two rounds was decided by one goal. In contrast, the Lightning became the first team this spring to score more than four goals against New York. Tampa Bay won the special-teams battle, going 3-for-6 on the power play and scoring a shorthanded goal.

NEW YORK -- Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman knew what he was talking about going into the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers.

"I said before the series I think special teams [were] going to be a difference-maker in this series, and tonight [the Rangers] scored two power-play goals. … We scored three and one [shorthanded goal], so that's huge," Hedman said. "That's going to give you momentum."

The Lightning rode the momentum from those four special-teams goals to even the best-of-7 series with a 6-2, Game 2 win at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

Game 3 is at Amalie Arena on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

Linesman Brad Kovachik left Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday in the second period with a sprained knee after a collision along the boards.

The NHL said he will be out indefinitely.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos checked New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein, who hit Kovachik with 7:41 left in the period.