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TAMPA, Fla. — If NHL teams could have New Year’s resolutions, the Rangers likely would vow to work on rising to their competition — and that’s exactly what they did to ring in 2022.
Much has been made of the Rangers’ inability to step up against top-tier teams this season, but they pulled out a 4-3 shootout win on the road over the reigning two-time Stanley Cup champions, the Lightning, behind Mika Zibanejad’s lone goal in the skills competition at Amalie Arena on Friday night to end 2021 on a major high note.
“We talked yesterday about how if we want to be in the conversation with the top teams in the league or the upper-echelon of teams, we need to start beating those teams,” said Barclay Goodrow, who scored two goals against his former club in his first visit back. “We’ve fared pretty well against teams that are out of a playoff spot, or below us in the standings. But against teams that are above us or considered one of the top teams, we haven’t fared so well.
“We wanted to come out strong tonight. Even with them tying it up with two minutes to go, we held on and we got through it and eventually found a way in the shootout.”
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Tied at 2-2 at the start of the third period, both teams came out a bit sloppy and struggled to put much on net. After a faceoff win from Ryan Strome later in the period, K’Andre Miller wristed the puck from the top of the circle and Goodrow tipped it in for his second tally of the night and the 3-2 lead at 13:35.
Tampa Bay then pulled Elliott for the six-on-five advantage and forward Corey Perry put it in from right in front of the crease to tie the game for a third time.
“That was tough to give up,” head coach Gerard Gallant said after the win, which improved the Rangers to 20-8-4. “But to win in the shootout was good, the guys kept battling.”
The win came against a Lightning squad that was without its star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is in COVID-19 protocol. And after backup netminder Brian Elliott essentially handed the Rangers’ two goals, it was clear just how much the Lightning missed their 2019 Vezina Trophy winner. Tampa Bay was also without Anthony Cirelli (COVID-19 protocol), Zach Bogosian and Erik Cernak (both lower-body injuries).
The Rangers were fortunate to only be down a goal heading into the second period, after registering just three shots on net through the first 20 minutes. Their good fortune continued, when Julien Gauthier’s pressure forced Elliot to cough up the puck right to Alexis Lafreniere for the wide-open shot to knot the game 1-1 at 5:30.
Rejuvenated by the goal, the Rangers suddenly had a bit more jump in their game. Though it was Elliott who, once again, made a bizarre play that led to the Blueshirts’ second tally.
Elliott came all the way to the outer edge of the faceoff circle to play the puck while his team was on the power play, but flubbed a cross-ice pass right to Greg McKegg. Goodrow was in optimal position when he received the puck from McKegg and went five-hole on Elliott at 14:30 for the 2-1 shorthanded score, just hours after receiving his second Stanley Cup ring.
The Lightning, however, answered just over three minutes later. On a three-on-two rush, Ross Colton one-timed the puck top shelf on Rangers’ goalie Igor Shesterkin to even the score again.
Though Tampa Bay still earned a point in the defeat, the Rangers’ confidence was boosted by this statement win. There’s been plenty for the Rangers to be proud of through 32 games, but the lack of wins against playoff-level clubs has hung over them.
“You talk about beating a good team tonight and beating some of those teams, it’s important for us,” Gallant said. “Gives us confidence, know you can play with the big guys. Point-wise, we’re right with them, but we still got to play better and get a 60-minute game and get better every day.”
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