Page 24 - min.vos
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SPORTS A19
Tuesday 26 May 2015
NHL Roundup
Stamkos has goal and assist, Lightning beat Rangers 2-0
TOM CANAVAN ference semifinals and rallied. They New York Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle (22) collides with Tampa Bay
AP Sports Writer also overcame a 3-1 deficit last year
NEW YORK (AP) — Steven Stamkos against Pittsburgh. Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan (24) during the third period of Game 5 of the
set up Valtteri Filppula’s go-ahead This was a game the Rangers con-
goal and scored one of his own as trolled early. The power plays gave Eastern Conference final during the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs, Sunday,
the Tampa Bay Lightning pushed them a chance to put Tampa Bay
the New York Rangers to the brink down and they failed to convert, May 24, 2015, in New York. Associated Press
of playoff elimination with 2-0 victory which was surprising because New
Sunday in Game 5 of the Eastern York had two power-play goals in
Conference finals. each of the three previous games in
Ben Bishop, who gave up 10 goals the series.
in the previous two games, had 26 A little less than 2 minutes after the
saves in posting his second shutout Lightning killed off a tripping penalty
and getting Tampa Bay within a vic- to Andrej Sustr, the Lightning took
tory of reaching the Stanley Cup fi- the lead and the excitement out of
nals for the second time in franchise the Madison Square Garden crowd.
history. They won the Cup in 2004. Defenseman Anton Stralman sent a
Tampa Bay’s special teams played a great bank pass up the side boards
major role. They killed off four power to Stamkos. He carried the puck into
plays in clinical fashion in the open- the Rangers’ zone, found Filppula
ing 31 minutes of a scoreless game, coming down the middle and the
limiting New York to four shots, and center beat Henrik Lundqvist with a
then Stamkos added a power-play shot to the upper part of the net. It
goal after Filppula opened the scor- was his third goal of the postseason
ing. and probably his most important.
Game 6 is Tuesday night in Florida. The Lightning had withstood the
This isn’t the first time the Rangers Rangers’ push and they were in
have been on the edge of seeing control. After Marc Staal picked up
their Presidents’ Trophy-winning sea- his second penalty of the game, the
son come to an end. They trailed the Lightning needed just over a minute
Washington Capitals 3-1 in the con- to double the lead.q
