The Tampa Bay Lightning couldn’t overcome an early 2-0 deficit on Tuesday night as their four-game win streak was halted with a 4-1 road loss to the New York Rangers.
Tampa Bay falls to 4-2-0 with the loss, their second against the Rangers following a 5-1 loss in the team’s season opener.
“They’re playing really well,” defenseman John Carlson said of the Rangers, “but that really doesn’t have much to do with our side and how we felt about our games. Obviously it’s going to take a better effort. They’re a hot team right now, they’re playing well and have some momentum, but we think we’re a good team and we have to take care of games like this more.”
The Rangers were quick to take the lead Tuesday, as winger Alexis Lafrenière made it 1-0 just 62 seconds into the game, burying a pass in the slot after a New York forecheck forced a turnover behind the net.
Lafrenière wasn’t done scoring, getting the 2-0 goal in the 12th minute of the game. Tye Kartye’s launch from the defensive zone sailed to the far blue line, where Lafreniere got inside positioning and fired a shot inside the right goalpost for his second goal of the night.
“We got scored on in the second shift of the game, so all of a sudden you’re chasing it,” head coach Jon Cooper said. “Our team has played extremely well for the most part since the last time we were here. I don’t know what it is since we’ve been here, but it was dreadful tonight. The execution, I couldn’t believe it. I can’t be too hard on them because I watched them play really well the last four games, and some legit teams we beat. But tonight, it was just an easy night for them. I guess sometimes that happens, but it’s a little frustrating that we’ve come in here twice in 10 days and been outscored 9-2.”
After drawing a Rangers penalty on a shorthanded breakaway earlier in the period, Tampa Bay grabbed some momentum as Zemgus Girgensons cut the lead to 2-1 in the closing minutes of the first period.
With five minutes left in the first period, Jeff Viel fought Rangers forward Matt Rempe, and the Lightning were on the scoreboard three minutes later. Girgensons entered the zone on a 2-on-1 rush with Pontus Holmberg and roofed his shot from the right circle into the top corner of the net with 2:34 left in the period.
“I don’t think we built on our momentum that we created for ourselves,” Carlson said. “I think we picked it up a little bit there, but we’ve got enough players that have to find the back of the net, especially in those moments of a game.”
The Lightning generated some scoring chances in the second period and extended pressure, but the Rangers had their own push and got the lone score of the middle frame with 94 seconds left, this time on a Will Cuylle deflection in the slot.
Girgensons agreed with Carlson’s assessment that the team’s execution needed to be better to erase the deficit.
“They had a step on us. We didn’t execute,” he said. “We were somewhat disconnected, so nothing was really falling right.”
Both goalies were busy in the third period, as Rangers netminder Dylan Garand stopped some of Tampa Bay’s best chances on the night, including an open look for Carlson from the point early in the period and a backhand from Brayden Point atop the crease with 5:30 to play.
Garand then denied a Cirelli chance in the slot with a poke check during a 6-on-4 power play late. He finished with 25 saves on a night when second scoring chances were hard to find for the Lightning.
Mika Zibanejad’s empty-net goal made it 4-1 with just under three minutes remaining and ended the scoring.
“They definitely work hard, and I think they kind of outworked us, executed a little better,” Girgensons said. “We just didn’t have it today.”
Point paced Tampa Bay with five shots on goal, including numerous looks from prime scoring areas. His 11 shot attempts led all players, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 18 saves.
Tampa Bay now returns home for two games, beginning with Thursday’s 7 p.m. game against the Seattle Kraken. The Lightning are 3-0-0 on home ice this season.
Benjamin’s Three Stars:
- Alexis Lafrenière, NYR (2 goals)
- Dylan Garand, NYR (25-save win)
- Zemgus Girgensons, TBL (Goal)
