Kartye scores twice, Rangers top Lightning in regular-season finale for both teams

TAMPA -- Tye Kartye had two goals and an assist to lead the New York Rangers to a 4-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Wednesday.

Mika Zibanejad had a goal and an assist, and J.T. Miller had two assists for the Rangers, who finished the season with a 34-39-9 record. Dylan Garand made 29 saves in his third career NHL start.

"(My emotions) are mixed right now," New York coach Mike Sullivan said. "Obviously, we're not in the position that we had hoped to be or where we want to be. From that standpoint, we're all disappointed and we all have to take ownership for it, myself included."

Oliver Bjorkstrand and Corey Perry each scored, and Brandon Halverson made 17 saves in his second career NHL start for the Lightning (50-26-6), who will have home ice in the Eastern Conference First Round best-of-7 series against the Montreal Canadiens.

Tampa Bay forwards Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel and Anthony Cirelli, as well as defensemen J.J. Moser and Ryan McDonagh, were healthy scratches.

"We made the playoffs and that's it ... you don't win the Stanley Cup in the regular season, but to have a chance to win the Stanley Cup you have to get through it," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "Fifty wins ... to me that's a big number. For them to pull through and get that, especially with the division and the conference we're in, ... now it's the second season and it takes a whole new wave of commitment and determination."

Kartye gave New York a 1-0 lead at 4:02 of the first period when he sent a snap shot past Halverson on the short side thanks to a pass from Zibanejad.

Kartye scored again at 1:29 of the second period to extend the Rangers' lead to 2-0. He got the puck off Miller's zone entry play that caromed off the end boards, and put a sharp angle snap shot over Halverson's stick from the left side.

"Ever since I got here, I feel like we've played pretty well," Kartye, who was claimed off waivers from Seattle on Feb. 27, said. "Even some games that we lost, I thought that we deserved a better result. But pretty much every game we were in, we were working hard, that's all you can ask for."

Gabe Perreault gave the Rangers a 3-0 lead at 4:49 with a wrist shot from the left point that got past Halverson on the glove side thanks to a screen in front.

Bjorkstrand got the Lightning on the board to make it 3-1 at 11:15, collecting a rebound from Scott Sabourin's original shot and tucking it home on the backhand as he fell to his knees in front. 

"One of our goals was to make (the playoffs), and now we're here and it's back to zero," Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh said. "Happy this regular season is over and I'm ready for the postseason."

Zibanejad added a power-play goal at 12:46 to push the New York lead to 4-1 on a tip from the slot off a touch pass by Alexis Lafreniere.

"I thought it was a really good game for the group," Garand said. "Sometimes when you're in this position, those are hard games to play, so I'm really proud of the way that we fought."

Perry scored 51 seconds into the third period to make it 4-2. He sent a whip-around shot on his backhand from high in the right circle through Garand's pads.

"I was just trying to get in on net," Perry said. "I was going to shoot it and they got in the lane. ... I found a way."

NOTES: Zibanejad had 16 power-play goals this season. ... Lafrenière finished with a career-high 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists), to tie his record set in the 2023-24 season.