TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Mika Zibanejad scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 16 seconds left in the third period and the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Saturday night.
Jacob Trouba also scored and Igor Shesterkin stopped 28 shots for New York.
Brayden Point scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy had 25 saves for the Lightning, who were coming off a 3-3 road trip.
Zibanejad scored from the left circle off a nifty pass from Artemi Panarin. The Rangers' second-ranked power play went 1 for 6.
Shesterkin stopped an in-close chance from Alex Killorn during a Tampa Bay power play but couldn’t locate the puck before Point poked it between the goalie’s legs to open the scoring with 3:19 left in the first period.
Trouba tied it at 1 with a rebound goal at 9:25 of the second.
Both goalies had big saves early in the second period. Nikita Kucherov had his right circle shot go off the shaft of Shesterkin’s stick, while Vasilevskiy stopped Panarin’s 3-on-1 shot during a power play.
Forward Brandon Hagel, acquired by Tampa Bay from the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, was held pointless.
SCORER’S SLUMPS
The Rangers swept the season series (3-0) for the first time since 2012-13. ... Panarin has just one goal in 14 games against Tampa Bay. ... Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has no goals in his last seven games. Shesterkin stopped Stamkos' low slot shot early in the third.
NUMBERS
PVasilevskiy played in his 350th game. ... Point stopped a six-game goal drought with his 23rd goal, coming in his 47th game. ... Lightning D Victor Hedman assisted on Point’s goal for his 256th assist at home, which moved him past Vincent Lecavalier into sole possession of third place in franchise history.
UP NEXT
Rangers: At Carolina on Sunday night.
Lightning: At Carolina on Tuesday night to open a four-game trip. It completes a stretch of 10 of 11 games away from home.
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