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It has happened again. The New York Rangers have blown another tight, winnable game in the last minute to the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, Tampa Bay Lightning. Only this time it has put them on the brink of elimination. Every Ranger fan out there must be feeling like they are Bill Murray from Groundhog Day with another last-minute loss.
Rangers came out ready to match the Lightning in every aspect of the Lightning’s game. It was a tightly contested, cagey defensive hockey all night that both teams have no problem playing.
Rangers were definitely the better of the two teams during the middle and end of the 1st with more shots and shot attempts, but they were also definitely the luckier of the two as the Lighting hit two posts. This would also end up being foreshowing to the Rangers eventual loss.
With the start of the second, the scrappy, no-edge-given game continues until….Rangers score! Who would have guessed (Every Rangers fan who saw Game 3, probably)? The Rangers take the lead in a close, one-goal-margin kind of-game. Again.
It was a seeing-eye, left-corner snipe over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s shoulder by Ryan Lindgren, of all people, that jolted Madison Square Garden into a newfound heaven. And lucky for them as it seemed that Vasilevskiy was going to put up another A+ performance in crucial series games. MSG was rocking after the goal as the Rangers looked poised to finally stick a vice grip around Tampa’s three-peat championship dream. New York has all the momentum and will to go on and edge out a victory on home ice, right?
Uh, no. Lindgren’s goal ten minutes into the 2nd Period was when every Rangers fan experienced Groundhog Day all over again.
But, just like in Game 3, Tampa scores a few minutes later to seize momentum right back. Only worse this time. It was Sergachev who scored a seeing-eye point shot past Igor Shesterkin to make it 1-1 heading into the 3rd period. What made it worse? The goal comes only three minutes after Lindgren’s, just like in Game 3. Groundhog Day is now in full effect.
Both teams kept the same gameplan of first two periods for the 3rd as both shut down defensively. Rangers have the best chances of the period, with a wrap-around-chance that turns into the save of the game. Vasilevskiy did the splits and fully stretched out to cover his left post to keep it 1-1. Another was a Zibanejad one-time point shot that rifled just over the bar. New York was doing their best to turn every one of their fans into a nervy mess.
Unfortunately for Ranger’s fans, Sergachev again is involved with the winning goal as he fires a hopeful wrister through a crowd of Tampa and New York defenders with two minutes to left. The shot somehow misses everyone except for Game 3 hero Ondrej Palat. He tips the puck from the high slot, past Igor, and into the Rangers net. 2-1 Lightning with 1:50 remaining.
Groundhog Day is complete. The Ranger’s fate is sealed.
Also, Brenden Hagel added an empty net goal to seal it, but every Ranger fan already knew it was over. As the horn is blown, a line scrum ensues. Stamkos and Lafreniere got into a fight, which was odd to see, but it doesn’t matter. Rangers lose on home ice for the first time in eight games, and now (probably) face their final game of the season in Tampa.
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Images Source: Getty Images (Nhl Playoffs 2022 Pictures and Photos – Getty Images)
