If you didn’t watch the contest between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers on Wednesday, you missed out. The playoff is getting closer, and teams are stepping up their games, proving they’re not one to be messed with.
The Lightning came into Wednesday’s matchup with a three-game winning streak, but just 10:21 into the game, they were falling behind 3-0. However, the Lightning fought back, and not just when it came to scoring.
When the game went into the final 10 minutes, the Lightning was within a goal of tying it, but it was messy up to that point.
The game saw four fights and several other scrums. Pat Maroon dropped the gloves with Ben Harpur in the first period; in the second period, it was time for Corey Perry and Vincent Trocheck to drop the mitts.
Just three minutes after that incident, it was time for another fight. Lightning’s Nick Paul had possession of the puck in the offensive zone when Braden Schneider stepped up and made one of the nicest open-ice hits this season.
The hit was clean, but Paul got absolutely steamrolled. Ross Colton immediately jumped Schneider and was assessed a five-minute fighting major, a two-minute instigator penalty, and 10-minute misconduct.
In the middle of the third period, Chris Kreider scored the 5-3 goal, and minutes later, Artemi Panarin sealed the deal with his 6-3 goal.