Lightning a win from another Stanley Cup Final

Two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is Saturday in Tampa.

The Rangers have won their past eight home games.

Palat scored the winning goal by deflecting a shot from Mikhail Sergachev, he himself was the scorer of the visitors ’first goal. Brandon Hagel scored an empty netter late in the game, while Andrei Vasilevskiy was solid in front of the Lightning net. He made 24 saves.

Ryan Lindgren scored the Rangers ’only goal. Igor Shesterkin stopped for 24 shots.

The game could have had a later time early as Nikita Kucherov and Nick Paul hit the post for Lightning in the first period.

Shesterkin made some saves with good lateral movement in the second period, then his teammates rewarded him by opening the scoring in 10:29.

Lindgren surprised Vasilevskiy from a narrow angle. The puck seemed to eat the blade of Steven Stamkos’ stick before passing over the Lightning goaltender’s right shoulder.

Sergachev answered before the end of the second period, with 2:26 left. The Russian defenseman took advantage of the traffic in front of the Rangers net to beat Shesterkin with a low shot from the blue line.

Lindgren came close to putting the Rangers back ahead midway through the third period. However, Vasilevskiy stretched his left leg at the last moment so that he failed when he thought he could shoot into a gaping cage.

Minutes later, Rangers striker Ryan Strome slammed into the air after a side kick from Andrew Copp.

Finally it was Lightning who was the last to laugh at another long shot from Sergachev, this time deflected by Palat, who found the back of the net with 1:50 left in the third period.

Hagel added the insurance goal has less than a minute left.

The Rangers players didn’t like Kucherov going for a final shot on goal as the siren rang and a scrum erupted. Stamkos and Alexis Lafrenière notably exchanged some great punches.