The Tampa Bay Lightning secured a commanding 4-1 victory against the New York Rangers on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at Madison Square Garden. The win marked the Lightning’s seventh consecutive triumph and effectively ended the Rangers’ three-game winning streak.
Brandon Hagel was the standout player, scoring twice, while Jonas Johansson contributed with 11 saves. The Lightning have dominated their opponents during this winning streak, outscoring them by an impressive margin of 30-10 since November 18.
Hagel opened the scoring at 10:53 of the first period, capitalizing on a deflection off Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy’s skate. He doubled the lead at 8:57 of the second period, netting his team-leading 15th goal by sliding his own rebound past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Defenseman Darren Raddysh and forward Nikita Kucherov assisted on both of Hagel’s goals. Kucherov, who is currently enjoying a nine-game points streak, has tallied four goals and 14 assists during this period, leading the Lightning with a total of 32 points. Raddysh has also been in fine form, recording 11 points in his last seven games.
The Rangers, who have struggled at home with a record of 2-8-1, faced a challenging match as the crowd expressed their frustration with boos. They have been shut out five times at Madison Square Garden and scored only once in three other games. In contrast, New York boasts a strong road record of 11-4-1.
J.T. Miller temporarily disrupted Johansson’s shutout bid with his seventh goal of the season at 17:31 of the second period, with assists from Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. However, the Lightning responded quickly, with Nick Paul scoring at 2:02 of the third period to extend the lead to 3-1. Rookie defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous also contributed with an assist on the play.
Jake Guentzel sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:41, further solidifying the Lightning’s dominance in the match.
The game was not without its injuries, as Fox left the ice at 7:03 of the third period after a hard check into the boards by Hagel. Fox’s left arm appeared to absorb the brunt of the impact.
In terms of shots on goal, the Lightning outperformed the Rangers significantly, firing 11 shots compared to New York’s two in the first period. The Rangers did not register their first shot until the 9:29 mark of the opening frame.
The Lightning were missing several key players due to injury, including defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak, and forward Brayden Point, who has been sidelined for four consecutive games.
Looking ahead, the Rangers will host the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, December 5, while the Lightning will face the New York Islanders on the same day.
