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.
¡ª
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.
.