TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning know what sort of effort it would take to complete off the New York Rangers.
The 2-time defending champions are one win away from a 3rd straight journey to the Stanley Cup Remaining, the place they might proceed their bid to turn into the primary staff in 40 years to win three consecutive NHL titles.
The Rangers, down 3-2 to the Lightning within the Jap Convention ultimate, have been particularly resilient this postseason.
Along with overcoming a 3-2 playoff sequence deficit to remove the Pittsburgh Penguins within the opening spherical, New York rebounded from shedding the primary two video games to Carolina within the second spherical to oust the Hurricanes in seven video games.
Sport 6 of the East ultimate is Saturday evening at Amalie Area. The Lightning gained Video games 3 and 4 on residence after dropping the primary two on the highway.
“We have been down 3-2 each sequence thus far, so we’ll need to have a stage of desperation,” Rangers ahead Andrew Copp mentioned.
“The boldness of doing it earlier than is larger and higher, having to do it once more there’s perception within the room. … We’re taking part in fairly good, and it is a actually, actually tight sequence,” Copp added. “We simply bought to make that further play on the finish of the sport to be the distinction.”
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Since being outscored 9-4 within the first two video games at Madison Sq. Backyard, Tampa Bay has gained three straight to maneuver to the brink of getting a shot on the NHL’s first three-peat for the reason that New York Islanders gained 4 straight championships from 1980-83.
Sport 7, if crucial, can be Tuesday evening in New York.
The Lightning, who’ve gained 10 consecutive sequence relationship to the beginning of the 2020 postseason, aren’t taking something as a right.
“We clearly know the fourth one within the hardest one to win. Our mindset has bought to be the identical because the final three video games,” veteran Lightning ahead Pat Maroon mentioned.
“We all know what’s at stake. We do not take video games off,” Tampa Bay’s Nick Paul added. “(New York) is a very good staff. You are taking an evening off, they’ll take it over. … There is no letting off the gasoline.”
The Rangers are 5-0 this postseason when dealing with elimination.
They’re 2-7 on the highway within the playoffs, however did win Sport 6 at Pittsburgh to even that sequence earlier than prevailing in Sport 7 at Carolina to succeed in the East ultimate.
“We do not care once we win it, we simply need to win it,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper mentioned.
“We’ve an awesome alternative (Saturday evening) to try this. … However simply because it is an elimination sport, it does not imply we’re going to knock them out,” Cooper added. “If we do not convey our greatest, it’s going to be hassle for us as a result of I do know the Rangers will convey their greatest.”
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant is counting it.
“It will be a battle. They are a good hockey staff, that is why they’re the Stanley Cup champs,” Gallant mentioned. “We’ve to go in there, play our greatest sport … win a sport and provides us an opportunity for a Sport 7 again residence.”