Coming off an emotional loss that knocked them out of first place Da'Ron Payne Redskins Jersey , the Tampa Bay Lightning took a little while to get going against the New York Rangers.

They eventually found their stride.

Brayden Point and Cedric Paquette each scored two goals, and Tampa Bay stopped a three-game slide with a 7-3 victory Friday night.

J.T. Miller contributed a power-play goal in the third period as the Lightning regained first place in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference with 108 points. Dan Girardi also scored against his former team, Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist, and backup goalie Louis Domingue made 28 saves.

¡±We got better as the game went along,¡± star forward Steven Stamkos said. ¡±We wanted to get the two points and we got it and we¡¯ll continue to move on.¡±

The Lightning fell from the top spot for the first time since mid-October when they lost to the Bruins on Thursday night. They scored a total of four goals during their losing streak.

¡±It was a tough first for us, just to get our legs back, but I like the way we responded in the second and third and the guys did what they had to do,¡± coach Jon Cooper said.

Leading 2-1 entering the third period, Miller Tarik Cohen Jersey , Paquette and Point scored in the first 2:38 to blow the game open.

Miller jammed in a rebound of Victor Hedman¡¯s shot from the point 35 seconds into the period. Hedman finished with two assists.

¡±It felt nice,¡± Miller said of scoring against his former team. ¡±It was hard with a lot of emotions and thoughts coming into this game. You just want to go out and play your game and luckily, got one to come on my stick in front of the net.¡±

Paquette added his second of the game when he took a pass from Cory Conacher and sent his shot off the post and into the net. Point finished the run 45 seconds later when he scored his 29th of the season on a 3-on-1 break.

Point added his second of the game on an empty-netter, and Girardi scored a power-play goal in the final minute.

New York rookie Filip Chytil got his first NHL goal. Chris Kreider and Brady Skjei also scored for the Rangers, and Ondrej Pavelec made 43 saves.

Tampa Bay¡¯s only visit to Madison Square Garden this season came in the Rangers¡¯ home finale.

Before the game, the Rangers played a video tribute honoring Ryan McDonagh, Girardi and Miller. McDonagh, a former captain, spent parts of eight seasons with the Rangers before being traded at the February deadline with Miller. Girardi played nearly 800 games with the Rangers over parts of 11 years.

¡±A month ago Ezekiel Elliott Jersey Womens , I didn¡¯t expect to have to play this game,¡± Miller said. ¡±You try to keep it together during the game as much as possible.

¡±A lot of good friends there on the other side so you try to keep it serious and professional during the game. It was a cool experience what they did for me here.¡±

The Rangers opened the scoring in the first period when defenseman Skjei wristed a shot from the top of the right circle past Domingue at 14:59 for his fourth of the season.

Paquette tied it for the Lightning early in the second. Mikhail Sergachev took a shot from the point and Paquette poked in the loose puck for his fourth goal at 3:15.

Just 1:18 later, Killorn gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead with his 15th goal. Anthony Cirelli sent a pass to Killorn in the slot. Killorn sent it on net and knocked in his own rebound.

Domingue preserved the lead when he made a sliding pad save on Kreider on a Rangers power play midway through the period.

Chytil scored when he knocked in Mats Zuccarello¡¯s shot that banked off the end boards at 8:14 of the third.

¡±Zukey shoots and it was a rebound and empty net, so I¡¯m excited I scored my first goal finally,¡± Chytil said.

Stamkos and Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich had an unexpected fight after the first period after Buchnevich tripped Nikita Kucherov. Buchnevich got a minor for tripping and a fighting major. Stamkos got an instigating minor, fighting major and a 10-minute misconduct.

¡±Stuff happens in the game and I thought Kuch got clipped and just responding,¡± Stamkos said.

NOTES: Goalie Henrik Lundqvist won the 30th annual Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. The award is presented to the Ranger who ¡±goes above and beyond the call of duty¡± as chosen by fans. The award, given annually since the 1987-88 season, is named after New York City Police Detective Steven McDonald Joe Thomas Jersey Elite , who was shot and injured in the line of duty on July 12, 1986, and died on Jan. 10, 2017. ¡­ The Rangers finished 21-16-4 at home this season.

UP NEXT

Lightning: Host Nashville on Sunday.

Rangers: Travel to Carolina to face the Hurricanes on Saturday night.

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SAN DIEGO ¡ª The Pirates pitching homecoming continues Saturday night at Petco Park.

On Friday, two San Diego County natives ¡ª and former high school teammates ¡ª pitched for Pittsburgh in downtown San Diego. Starter Joe Musgrove and reliever Steven Brault were raised a half-hour¡¯s drive to the east of Petco Park.

Saturday night, the focus shifts to northern San Diego County as Rancho Bernardo High grad Trevor Williams starts for the Pirates against his hometown club.

While Musgrove and Brault were facing the Padres for the first time, the 26-year-old Williams pitched six innings against the Padres on May 20 in Pittsburgh. He gave up four runs on four hits ¡ª including a two-run homer to Christian Villanueva ¡ª in six innings but did not get a decision in a game won by the Padres, 8-5.

The right-handed Williams (6-5, 4.03 ERA in 16 starts) will be opposed by left-handed rookie Joey Lucchesi (3-3 Derrius Guice Jersey , 3.57 ERA). Lucchesi had just gone on the disabled list with a strained glute muscle when the Padres visited Pittsburgh in May.

Williams started the season with three straight wins but is 1-3 with a 6.09 ERA over his last seven starts. However, he allowed only one hit with seven strikeouts in seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers two starts ago on June 18. That happened to be his only win since May 15.

Saturday night will be his eighth road start of the season. He is 2-2 with a 4.42 ERA on the road. But he is 0-2 with a 7.23 ERA in his last four road starts after opening the season with a 2-0 mark and a 1.50 ERA in his first three road starts.

Williams is coming off a loss in his most recent start against the Arizona Diamondbacks last Sunday afternoon. Williams gave up three runs on five hits in six innings while the Pirates were being shutout.

Lucchesi, 25, will be making his third start since returning from the disabled list June 20.

His first outing on the day he was activated lasted only 1 2/3 innings as he gave up four runs on three hits ¡ª including two homers ¡ª and two walks in just 1 2/3 innings against Oakland. On June 26, Lucchesi allowed no runs and only one hit and two walks with four strikeouts in Texas, but came out of the game after four innings when he reached his pre-set limit of 70 pitches.

Padres manager Andy Green said Lucchesi now has the green light to go deeper into Saturday¡¯s game if the performance merits it.

Saturday will be Lucchesi¡¯s 12th start around his 33-game stay on the disabled list. At the time of his injury, Lucchesi was 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA in nine starts ¨C although his ERA had climbed in five of his six starts before going in the disabled list. The Padres are 4-7 in games started by Lucchesi ¡ª who has given up 10 home runs in 53 innings, accounting for 15 of the 23 runs he has allowed.

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