TAMPA, Fla. _ J.T. Miller scored 1:19 into overtime to lift the Rangers past the Lightning, 2-1, on Thursday, as the Blueshirts went toe-to-toe with the best team in the NHL so far this season.
Miller went around Anton Stralman and beat goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had made 33 saves through regulation. Kevin Shattenkirk picked up his ninth assist on the winning goal and Henrik Lundqvist, who made 27 saves, was awarded his first assist of the season.
It was the first of a two-game road trip in Florida and the Blueshirts' first win away from the Madison Square Garden in four tries. With the back-to-back wins, they raised their record to 5-7-2. The Lightning fell to 10-2-2.
At 3:01 of the third period and with the score tied at 1, the Lightning scored but the goal was waved off because Gabriel Dumont was slightly in the crease after being nudged by Steven Kampfer. Tampa coach Jon Cooper challenged the call, but a video review supported the on-ice decision and the score remained tied.
With Alex Killorn called for slashing at the Rangers bench because Kevin Hayes splashed water on him, an enraged Steven Stamkos appeared to touch and then squirt water at an official, but was not penalized. The Rangers couldn't cash in on the power play and Ryan McDonagh slammed Yanni Gourde into the boards and was called for roughing.
In the second period, Lundqvist stoned Stamkos on an open 15-foot backhander just 1:20 in and Michael Grabner's low shot went in past Jesper Fast's screen at 2:38, but the play had been whistled dead because a high stick knocked a clearing pass down.
There was some pushback for the Rangers in the period. After a multi-player scrum behind the Rangers' net, Steven Kampfer grappled with Ryan Callahan. When Vladislav Namestnikov went off at 10:01 after cross-checking Mika Zibanejad in the head in front after the whistle, the Blueshirts had a power play but Tampa tied the score while short-handed. Gourde started a give-and-go with Victor Hedman. With only Shattenkirk deep and Chris Kreider racing back, Shattenkirk went to Hedman, who slipped the puck back to Gourde and he beat Lundqvist stickside at 11:00.
In the first period, the Blueshirts clogged the lanes in the neutral zone, breaking up pass attempts and knocking pucks away with sticks, effectively blunting the Lightning's forecheck. Vasilevskiy stopped Michael Grabner's backhander in traffic early, and then denied Miller's backhand bid in close on a pass from Jimmy Vesey off a rush, at 10:26, and the Lightning began to pressure. They forced Shattenkirk into a holding penalty at 12:49, and Lundqvist stopped a hard shot by Stamkos and Marc Staal tipped away a cross-ice pass. When Shattenkirk emerged from the box, he broke in alone on Vasilevskiy, who got his glove on the defenseman's forehander.
As Mats Zuccarello darted in front to free a puck from Vasilevskiy's grasp, he was bear hugged and tossed by the much bigger Victor Hedman, and started to scrap. Both went off with minor penalties.
With the teams playing four-on-four, Lundqvist made two saves, on Nikita Kucherov's tip and Braydon Coburn's snap shot, and the Rangers broke down the ice. Brady Skjei found Zibanejad cutting near the right circle and launched the puck in front. Kreider crashed the net and banged the puck under Vasilevskiy's armpit and in at 18:34. It was Kreider's third goal in the last four games and the Blueshirts led 1-0.
