The New York Rangers went down to Benchmark International Arena and took down the Tampa Bay Lightning, 7-3. The bulk of the action came in the first period, with the Rangers ultimately pulling away again to seal it. New York picked up their fifth-straight road win.
Offensive Frenzy Early in Tampa
Will Cuylle (5) opened the scoring just over a minute into the game on a power-play goal, and JT Miller (4) followed that one up shortly after. The Lightning cut the lead in half with a goal from Scott Sabourin (1), but Alexis Lafrenière (4) responded quickly to make it 3-1.
Before the period was over, it would be a series of the Lightning getting within a goal after the Rangers re-padded the lead a couple more times. The score was 4-3 after just one period.
For a moment, it looked like the Lightning would be able to overcome having a makeshift lineup of American Hockey League players due to injuries. However, the road warrior Rangers would prove to be too much.
Related: Rangers Have a Balanced Lineup for the First Time This Season
Vincent Trocheck picked up the lone goal of the second period, and he scored another to extend the lead to 6-3 in the third. Cuylle, who opened the scoring, got to cap things off by picking up an empty-netter to reach the final score of the game.
Artemi Panarin stood out in the game for racking up four points despite never finding the back of the net. Trocheck and Cuylle had multi-goal games while only requiring two shots apiece. Despite a combined 10 goals in the game, both teams were a combined 1-for-6 on the power play.
The Rangers take their road trip north to Ohio to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, the Lightning hit the road on Saturday when they take on the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. EST.
