The Tampa Bay Lightning look to keep momentum rolling in their direction as they charge back into the Amalie Arena to take on the New York Rangers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Tampa Bay Lightning put on another exciting performance in front of their hometown crowd on Wednesday night as they defeated the New York Rangers 6-5 in a thrilling overtime battle at the Amalie Arena.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has one day to collect themselves and prepare for battle once again as they look to charge back into the Amalie Arena tomorrow night, hopefully keeping momentum on their side, and extending their series lead over the New York Rangers in Game 4.
This may sound like an easy task, but if you have been watching the series thus far you are well aware that it has been anything but easy. The New York Rangers have, for the most part, given it back to the Lightning just as much as the Lightning has given to them. That is truly saying something considering the amount of offense the Triplets have been producing as of late.
Right now, Lightning center Tyler Johnson leads the National Hockey League in both goals (12) and points (18). Not far behind him is his linemate Nikita Kucherov, who currently sits in third place in both categories. Kucherov has 7 goals and 16 points.
Another line that has been making a name for themselves as of late is the newly-coined “Twins Line,” which is the line consisting of Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, Alex Killorn, and Ryan Callahan. Both Stamkos and Killorn have played a role in the Lightning victories in Games 2 and 3.
If they can keep this level of play up, and the Lightning can proceed with two lines as deadly as the Triplet line, the New York Rangers may be in some serious trouble. Unfortunately for the Lightning, this kind of victory won’t come without its fair share of fight.
As you can imagine, the last thing the New York Rangers want to do is head back into Madison Square Garden with two losses in their rearview mirror. The local media is already not swaying their direction, and something like this would be like putting fish guts in shark infested waters.
You can bet your bottom dollar that the Rangers will be coming into tonight’s encounter with all sorts of physicality and drive in order to right the ship and get the momentum back on their side. The good news is, with the way the Lightning has been playing lately, they should have no issues taking it all in and giving back as much, if not more, than they receive.
One of the things the Lightning will need to tighten up on in tonight’s encounter is the amount of penalties they have been taking lately. We have always preached that when you continue to open the door for your opponent it is only a matter of time until they walk through it. This is exactly what happened in Game 3.
The Rangers went two for four on the Power Play in Game 3, which accounted for just under half of their goals in the entire game. If we continue to take avoidable penalties and find ourselves in the box, it may afford them to the one goal they need to take a win away from us. At this point in the post season, this is something that we can ill afford.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has proven time in and time out that they have the skill and determination to go the distance this season. The only thing standing in between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Lord Stanley’s Cup is 2 teams and 6 wins. If we can get through that, Lord Stanley can work on his tan once again.
At this point, the Lightning needs to take it one game and keep their head in the game.
What do you think will be the key to a Lightning win tonight? What do you think they were able to take away from Game 3 and use to their advantage tonight? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Takes 2-1 Series Lead In Game 3 OT Win
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