Rangers defeat Lightning in another one-goal game
Tampa Bay gives up the opener despite sweeping the regular-season series.
NEW YORK — The New York Rangers aren’t the same team the Tampa Bay Lightning dominated in the regular season.
Not even close, and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals showed that.
Dominic Moore scored with 2:25 to play, the defense limited the Lightning’s highpowered offense, and the Rangers defeated goaltender Ben Bishop and the Lightning, 2-1, Saturday to move within three wins of returning to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The game-winning goal came just 30 seconds after Moore stepped out of the penalty box, and it capped another nail-biter for the Rangers, who have played15 consecutive one-goal games in the postseason dating to last season’s Stanley Cup Final against the Kings.
It was typical of the postseason. Nothing pretty. Kevin Hayes sent the puck into the crease and Moore got position and had the puck deflect off his skate into the net.
“I think it’s just a matter of wanting to win,” said Moore, who raised his fists and looked up after scoring. “We had lots of looks, couple just before that. I drove it in front and the puck rolled off my tape. Just tried to stay with it and work for a good bounce, and finally it came.”
Moore had gotten position on former Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman, whom he had taken down minutes earlier to put Tampa Bay on a power play.
“It’s one of those things you can’t do much about,” Bishop said after losing to the Rangers for the firsttime in nine career games.
The Rangers have won nine games this postseason and have seven victories by a 2-1score.