In what amounted to two teams headed in different directions, the Rangers were too much for the Lightning, defeating them 5-1 in Tampa to end 2023 with a big victory on Saturdaynught. The win was a good response to a tough 4-3 loss to the Panthers on Dec. 29.

The all Russian matchup between Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy failed to deliver. Unlike their previous history, it was Shesterkin who celebrated his 28th birthday by making 34 saves on 35 shots to earn the game’s second star. He had the better team behind him.

It showed in how the Rangers defended for most of the game. Unlike the Panthers’ loss, where Jonathan Quick had to make a lot of tough stops, it was much easier for Shesterkin. Even though he finished with 34 saves, he didn’t have to work too hard. The only goal that beat him came from the league’s leading scorer, Nikita Kucherov, on a power play.

Although he didn’t face as many shots, Vasilevskiy was hung out to dry by a weak defense that has been the Achilles heel of the Lightning. They played without Mikhail Sergachev, who was out injured. He’s had a brutal season up to this point. The Lightning still could’ve used him.

By the time the night concluded, Vasilevskiy allowed five goals on 21 shots. Almost every single one came on a Lightning defensive breakdown. Their defense is the biggest reason they’re sitting outside the playoffs. Unless it improves, the former Stanley Cup champs could be home by the spring.

Panarin’s Hat Trick Highlights the Victory

Artemi Panarin continued his brilliant first half for the Rangers. His hat trick highlighted the victory. He scored goals 21, 22, and 23 of the season to torch the Lightning.

Panarin’s career high in goals is the 32 he scored during 2019-20 in his first season as a Ranger. That came in 69 games before the pandemic ended the regular season. His new shoot first mentality is why he’s leading the Rangers in goals. It’s made him a much harder player to defend.

He opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game. Alexis Lafreniere sent a bank pass off the boards up towards the Lightning zone. It was there that Vincent Trocheck poked the loose puck by a diving Victor Hedman to create a 2-on-1 with Panarin. He fed Panarin for his first of the game to give the Rangers an early lead.

Trocheck wasn’t done either. In what proved to be a big game for the center, he scored the Rangers’ second goal of the first period when he was able to reach in and deposit a rebound past Vasilevskiy for his ninth of the season with 12:24 left.

On the forecheck, the trio of Panarin, Lafreniere, and Trocheck had the Lightning pinned in. After Trocheck passed the puck up to Jacob Trouba, his shot was redirected in front by Lafreniere. The puck went into Vasilevskiy’s pads, but he never had it covered. That allowed Trocheck to dig out the rebound and give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

Laviolette’s Successful Challenge Overturns Lightning Goal

With the Rangers still leading by two with over five minutes remaining in the first period, the Lightning thought they had a goal. On a play around Shesterkin’s net, Tanner Jeannot battled Mika Zibanejad in front for position. After Jeannot bumped into Shesterkin, Michael Eyysimont put a wrap-around into the net, with Shesterkin unable to recover.

Initially, they ruled it a good goal. However, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette immediately called over the officials to have a discussion about the play. That initiated a coach’s challenge for goaltender interference. Following a lengthy review, the replay indicated that Jeannot contacted Shesterkin enough to prevent him from making a play on Eyysimont’s shot. Laviolette’s successful challenge overturned the Lightning goal.

On the same play, Zibanejad was called for hooking Jeannot to put the Lightning on a power play. But it was the Rangers’ penalty kill that got the job done. They blanketed the Lightning by taking away Kucherov and Brayden Point. Steven Stamkos had a couple of shots blocked by Trouba and Chris Kreider.

Shesterkin kept the Lightning off the scoreboard for the remainder of the period. He made two key saves on Anthony Cirelli before time expired.

Kucherov Breaks Shutout

For the majority of the second period, the score remained the same. Each goalie kept it that way. Vasilevskiy stopped Barclay Goodrow on a breakaway. Goodrow’s backhand was denied to keep the Rangers from going up by three.

Shesterkin made a good save on Erik Cernak during a 4-on-4. Cernak was left open for a shot in the left circle. But Shesterkin padded it away to keep the Lightning off the scoreboard.

Shortly after, Lafreniere made a good move to get into the Lightning zone and tested Vasilevskiy with a wrist shot that he handled. Lafreniere was flying during the game. He continues to play well. He had two assists in the game to give him four points over the last three games.

With the Lightning beginning to throw long shots on Shesterkin that he had no trouble with, they finally created something during a scrum. After Shesterkin froze the puck to get a stoppage, a feisty Kucherov drew some attention from Braden Schneider. For that, Schneider received the only penalty for roughing to put the Lightning on the power play.

After Shesterkin made three straight point blank saves on Stamkos, Nick Paul, and Point, the Rangers failed to clear the puck. That allowed Stamkos to easily find a wide open Kucherov for a power-play goal that cut it to 2-1 with 2:21 left in the second period.

Kreider Replies Back

Before the Lightning partisan crowd could get into it, a defensive lapse cost their team the momentum. On an innocent looking play by Blake Wheeler, in which he cleared the puck high in the air, it went past two Lightning players in the neutral zone. Suddenly, Trocheck and Kreider had a 2-on-1 rush.

Kreider replied back by getting his 18th of the season to restore the Rangers’ two-goal lead with 90 seconds remaining in the period. The goal came only 51 seconds following Kucherov’s power-play goal. That really quieted the building. That is, unless you were a Ranger fan. The Rangers had a lot of support from fans that live in the Tampa area.

Panarin Erases Any Doubt

In the third period, the Lightning tried to get back in it. However, Shesterkin had other ideas. He made timely saves to keep the Rangers ahead by two. With him doing his part, it was time for Panarin to do the rest. He erased any doubt by scoring twice over a 4:10 span.

On another Lightning defensive breakdown, Trocheck tapped a loose puck to Panarin in the neutral zone. He then skated by three Lightning players with ease before pulling around Hedman and fire a laser past Vasilevskiy for his second of the contest to make it 4-1 with 8:44 left in the third period.

Following a Shesterkin stop on Paul, there was only one thing left to answer. Would Panarin get the hat trick? When Stamkos went to the box for holding Adam Fox, Panarin gave an emphatic answer pretty fast.

After Zibanejad got the puck over for Fox during a 4-on-3, Fox had one thing in mind. He passed it up to Panarin, who fired a wrist shot upstairs to give him the hat trick with 4:34 left in regulation. That made it 5-1.

The play of Panarin has been the story for the Rangers as they get to celebrate the New Year. With his three goals, that gives him 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points. He ranks third in league scoring, trailing only Kucherov (25-34-59), and Nathan MacKinnon (19-37-56). Clearly, an MVP candidate, due to his torrid pace, Panarin is playing at a very high level. If he can keep it up in 2024, it could be a very special year.

Even better, the line of Panarin, Trocheck, and Lafreniere combined for four goals and five assists for a total of nine points in the win over the Lightning. They dominated the game to finish a combined plus-10.

Rangers Host Hurricanes to Start New Year

After getting New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day off, the first overall Rangers (25-9-1) Rangers will host the Hurricanes to start the New Year on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

The Canes are finally playing better. Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho have caught fire. They’re winning with Pyotr Kochetkov as the starter. They defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 on Saturday night. They’re up to 20-13-4 with 44 points to surge into second place in the Metropolitan Division. It should be a good test.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!!!!!