NEW YORK _ Michael Grabner notched the third hat trick of his career Sunday night, treating the Rangers to a 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blueshirts speed and quickness defused the Lightning and backup goaltender Antti Raanta, in his second start of the season, backed up the victory with 31 saves.
Grabner, a former Islander who was signed _ primarily as a penalty-killer _ as a free agent in the offseason, made his mark on Broadway, as the Blueshirts rebounded from a 3-2 loss in Raleigh, N.C. on Friday and ended October with a 6-3 record.
After a scoreless first period, it didn't take long for a decisive turnaround burst in the second: three goals in a 2:19 span.
Rick Nash scooped up a loose puck _ with the turnover at mid-ice forced by Nick Holden _ and raced in on Ben Bishop. Nash didn't try to deke, he just fired top shelf over Bishop's glove from 15 feet for the 1-0 lead at 4:45. Grabner's first came on a pinpoint pass from Brady Skjei in the right circle and fired before Bishop could get back to the post at 6:42. Lightning coach Jon Cooper challenged the goal, arguing for goaltender interference as J.T. Miller was pushed into Bishop by Valtteri Filppula. But after a review, the goal stood.
Jimmy Vesey capped the three-goal surge with his fifth goal at 7:04 on a pass from Nash, who has seven goals and 12 points in 13 games against the Lightning as a Ranger. After a failed 5 on 3, the Rangers added their fourth of the period. On a rush, Kevin Hayes' hard shot hit Bishop in the logo, and Miller jammed in the rebound from the doorstep at 18:10.
Midway through the third, the Rangers produced another breakaway and another score. Ryan McDonagh blocked a shot and Miller's lead pass found Grabner and he fired high glove side for his second of the game and fourth of the year at 9:02. Grabner, who was moved up to the third line from the fourth, finished the hat trick on another pass from Hayes, who had three assists, at 14:47.
One of more remarkable things on the evening? The flurry of scoring against the 6-7 Bishop, who had a career .940 save percentage against the Rangers.
An entertaining first period opened the evening, with the Rangers getting quality shots among their 16 attempts on Bishop, and Raanta making two of his 10 stops in the final 10 seconds with the Lightning on a power play.
The transition game steadily picked up for the Blueshirts through the period, with some quality chances with Alex Killorn in the box at 12:03, but Bishop was in position for everything. The Lightning also blocked eight shot attempts in the period. When Steven Stamkos bull-rushed a pile of Rangers, including Buchnevich, whacking at loose pucks in the crease, the Rangers had a second man-advantage, that was short-circuited by the call on Zuccarello.
The Lightning dropped to 5-4, as the return of Ryan Callahan, from offseason hip surgery, and sniper Nikita Kucherov, from an upper-body injury, couldn't change the result, although he hit the post in the third before Stamkos scored on a power-play deflection at 16:36.
