Saturday, June 4, 2022

Rangers Defeat Lightning For a 2-0 Series Lead in Eastern Conference Finals



In Game 2 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2 last night. It gave them a 2-0 series lead, as they had defeated Tampa Bay 6-2 in Game 1 of the series on Wednesday night.

Having staved off elimination after the Hurricanes took a 3-2 series lead in the previous series, the Rangers have now pulled off four straight wins. They look hot on ice at the moment. Admittedly, I was nervous about their chances against Tampa Bay, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. But so far, New York looks very good. Obviously, the series is far from over, and there would still be a lot of work left to be done if they are indeed to win this thing and head to the Stanley Cup Finals, which would be the first time since 2014 for the Rangers, should they qualify. 

Now, however, the series shifts from Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers obviously enjoy home ice advantage, to Tampa, Florida, where the Lightning will try to rejuvenate themselves and get into this series a bit more. It figures to get a bit more difficult there. Maybe the Rangers can take one of the next two there, and really put the pressure on the Lightning. We shall see.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference Finals will resume later today, with the Avalanche enjoying a comfortable 2-0 lead in that series. The two teams combined for 14 goals in Game 1, as Colorado ultimately won that game, 8-6. In Game 2, however, the Avs really clamped down on the Oilers, and were able to shut them out, while they themselves still remained fairly hot on offense. Ultimately, they won that game, 4-0. Hopefully, Edmonton can restore their chances a bit when they enjoy home ice advantage for Game 3 later today.





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