Bolts Bewilder Broadway Blueshirts

And we are headed back to New York City for game five with the series all tied up as it should be between the 7^th and 8^th place overall regular-season Eastern Conference teams.

Some players find success late in their careers, for example, Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Mr. Pat Maroon who was on the Cup-winning Blues team and contributed three goals in 26 playoff games and then 13 goals over the next two Cup-winning playoff runs with Tampa Bay.

Mr. Maroon may not score often but last night’s score was a beauty after picking up a rebound off of a Mr. Bogosian shot for his third of these playoffs while playing 10 minutes, shooting the puck once, and dishing out three hits for the game.

Tampa Bay played like a team desperate to win and New York played like a team desperate to end the series early and at the halfway point of the second period the game was choppy and chaotic.

Once the initial goal is scored the game is blocking, shots wide, hits, choppy skating and passing, rebounds were there even with the low SOG, and a “no goal” review/call on a brilliant save from Mr. Shesterkin.

A moment of offense as Mr. Palat passes to Mr. Kucherov skating right down the middle to score on Tampa’s 13^th SOG and then the game resumed its grind and when Mr. Stamkos scored you could feel that this game was won.

The Rangers were able to stymie Mr. Vasilevskiy in his shutout bid when “The Bread Man” Mr. Panarin elevated a shot up to the corner glove side after gifted a deflection from Mr. McDonagh.  

The series resumes Thursday, June 9^th for game five at eight o’clock in Madison Square Garden.