TRIPS FORMATION

Young Lightning trio giving Blueshirts fits

TAMPA — There is no rest for Henrik Lundqvist and no respite for a Rangers’ defense run ragged, lost like stubborn husbands who refuse to ask for directions, searching for seemingly nonexistent answers to slowing a Lightning offense getting better with each game, having gotten the better of the Rangers so many times this season.

After surrendering six goals in consecutive games of the Eastern Conference final — the second time Lundqvist has allowed six goals in consecutive games in his career — the Rangers know what needs to happen, but have not yet shown they have any idea how to make it happen.

In fairness, stopping the “Triplets” line — Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat — is a task no team has figured out this postseason.

“They’ve impressed me for a long time,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “And now, they’re impressing the world.”

Tampa Bay’s young and explosive second line combined for four goals in Game 3’s 65 win at Amalie Arena, with each member of the unit scoring at least once, which included Kucherov’s overtime winner to give the Lightning a 21 series lead. Somehow improving on what already has been a remarkable run through the playoffs, the line has accounted for 25 of the Lightning’s 47 goals in the postseason, producing eight goals through three games against the Rangers, so often in timely situations.

Of the six times Lundqvist has allowed at least five goals this season, four instances have come against Tampa Bay, with the “Triplets” having lit up Lundqvist for five goals and 11 assists in the three regularseason meetings, a group veteran Brian Boyle calls “scary good.”

Even among their Tampa Bay teammates, excellence has become expected from the trio, with a touch of the puck igniting images of it soon hurtling toward the back of the net.

“We’re kind of getting spoiled, kind of getting used to it,” Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop said. “Obviously, the three of them have such good chemistry the way they feed off each other … they’re pretty unbelievable.”

More unbelievable is that each member of the line — all under 25 years old — was once available to every team in the league, with Johnson going undrafted, Palat taken 208th overall in the 2011 draft and Kucherov taken 58th the same year.

Now, Johnson leads all players with 12 postseason goals and 18 points, tallying four goals and two assists against the Rangers, while Kucherov and Palat each have five points in the series.

They have scored using speed and vision that leave Lundqvist alone, forced to react to unpredictable whims of creativity.

For the Rangers, the search to stop them continues. For the “Triplets,” the relentless attack does, too.