Rangers ride ‘Kid Line’ in easy Game 1 victory

The Rangers’ third line has been making valuable contributions all season, and the trio’s success in Game 1 against the Lightning is a big reason the team finally has a lead during a postseason series.

Dubbed ‘The Kid Line’ because of their ages — Filip Chytil is 22, Alexis Lafrenière 20 and Kaapo Kakko 21 — the three combined for five points in the Rangers’ 6-2 home win Wednesday night in the series opener.

Lafrenière has nine points (two goals, seven assists), Chytil eight (seven goals, one assist) and Kakko four (one goal, three assists) this postseason.

Colleges: Gonzaga F Drew Timme, the reigning West Coast Conference player of the year and a secondteam All-american, will drop out of the NBA draft and return to the Bulldogs next season. Also, former Chattanooga G Malachi Smith will transfer to Gonzaga. Smith was the 2021-22 Southern Conference player of the year. ... Idaho State assistant football coach Davonte’ Neal was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, drive-by-shooting and discharge of a firearm at a structure.

Golf: Six players shot 5-under 67 to share a one-stroke lead at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio. Former Masters champ Hideki Matsuyama was DQ’D because of paint on the face of his 3-wood.

NBA: Nike founder Phil Knight and Dodgers partowner Alan Smolinisky have offered more than $2 billion to buy the Trail Blazers, ESPN reported.

NFL: Longtime QB Ryan Fitzpatrick retired after 17 seasons. Fitzpatrick, 39, started 147 games for nine teams . ... RB Frank Gore, who didn’t play last season, retired. Gore, 39, played 10 of his 16 seasons for the 49ers and will enter the team’s hall of fame as the franchise leader in rushing yards (11,703) and rushing TDS (64). The fivetime Pro Bowler played for four other teams and ranks third on the NFL’S all-time rushing yards list (16,000).