Mika Zibanejad scored twice, together with a tiebreaking power-play purpose in the third interval, and the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 in the season opener on Tuesday night time.
Steven Stamkos had a power-play purpose for the Lightning and Andrei Vasilevskiy had 36 saves.
Zibanejad, who scored a short-handed purpose early in the second interval, gave the Rangers the 2-1 lead at 5:11 of the third with a slap shot from the left circle off a go from Artemi Panarin. It gave Panarin, starting his fourth season in New York, 250 factors with the Rangers.
Goodrow made it 3-1 as he deflected Ryan Lindren’s lengthy shot from the left level previous Vasilevskiy with 9 minutes remaining.
LIKE WE SAID. <br><br>MIKA OCTOBER. <a href=”https://t.co/4xLDwWAXQC”>pic.twitter.com/4xLDwWAXQC</a>
—@NYRangers
The Rangers outshot the Lightning 14-8 in a scoreless first interval, and 18-8 in the second.
The Lightning, tops in the NHL with 291 power-play goals over the final 5 seasons, acquired their first man benefit of the sport early in the second interval. However, seconds after Vasilevskiy stopped two short-handed slap pictures by Chris Kreider, Zibanejad skated in from the suitable aspect, acquired across the goalie’s poke verify and lifted a backhander into the highest left nook at 3:25 to put the Rangers up 1-0.
The Rangers had been on the ability play later in the interval when Vasilevskiy was out of place and Kreider had an open internet on the left aspect however defenceman Mikhail Sergachev skated over and stopped Kreider’s probability along with his keep on with 6 minutes to go. Vasilevskiy then slid over and denied Kreider’s try on the observe.
Vasilevskiy stopped a shot by Barclay Goodrow with a bit greater than 11 minutes remaining in the primary. At the opposite finish, Shesterkin stoned a driving try from Nick Paul from the suitable aspect 20 seconds later, after which denied the follow-up from Brandon Hagel.
Vasilevskiy additionally turned apart two makes an attempt in shut by Jacob Trouba with about 6:45 left, after which made a proper pad save to deny Chris Kreider’s deflection from the left doorstep on a Rangers energy play with 2:40 remaining.
(*2*)