Mishkin's Extra Shift: Lightning 4, Rangers 1 - Game 4

Down 2-1 in the series after Sunday's thrilling Game Three comeback win, the Lightning took care of business with a solid, overall outing in Game Four and turned the Eastern Conference Final into a best-of-three.

Compared to Game Three, a contest in which the Lightning outshot the Rangers, 52-30, and held an 86-51 advantage in attempts, New York owned more possession in Game Four. But the Lightning delivered a top-notch defensive performance. They effectively limited opposition scoring chances by playing strong, structured hockey without the puck. At the other end, the Lightning, despite being outshot in the game, produced a high volume of excellent looks on Igor Shesterkin.
The Lightning may have been outshot in the first period, 10-8, but they had the more dangerous opportunities. The first goal of the game came early. Just over two and a half minutes in, Zach Bogosian led the rush into the offensive zone, skated to the right circle, and cut inside on Justin Braun to the front of the net. Shesterkin stopped Bogosian's shot, but Pat Maroon backhanded the rebound into the air, over Shesterkin's glove, and into the net.
During a Tampa Bay power play later in the frame, the Lightning almost scored another. Nikita Kucherov took a shot that deflected and dropped between Shesterkin's pads. Shesterkin fell on the puck, which was wedged underneath part of his right pad. The pad and the puck both eventually slid over the goal line, but the officials ruled that the play was whistled dead before that happened. Later in the first, Shesterkin made another tough save, denying a two-on-one rush shot from Steven Stamkos. For the Rangers in the first period, their offensive was quiet. Not one of their 10 first period shots was a high-danger chance.
That dynamic changed somewhat in the second period, however. New York picked up its forechecking intensity and pressed the attack for much of the frame. Shot attempts in the second were 21-12 in favor of New York. But despite the possession disadvantage, the Lightning maintained their structure, held the Rangers to just 12 second period shots, and greatly limited scoring chances.
Even with more limited possession time, the Lightning continued to create looks of their own and cashed in on one of them. Moments before the Lightning scored their second goal, Shesterkin made a point-blank save on Kucherov. But after the puck was cleared, Jan Rutta reversed it to Ondrej Palat, who sprung Kucherov on an in-alone chance. He snapped the puck through Shesterkin's pads at 13:07.
The third period was filled with whistles and stoppages, so there wasn't as much flow to the game as there had been in the opening 40 minutes. Shots and attempts were higher in this frame, but the Lightning had an edge in both (16-13 SOG and 28-23 in attempts). And, as they had done in the first two periods, the Lightning were the more dangerous team. Standing at the side of the net, Stamkos finished a rebound from Palat's shot. That third Lightning goal came at 4:56. Throughout the rest of the third, Shesterkin was forced to make tough saves so that his team's deficit remained at three.
Andrei Vasilevskiy was tested more in the third than in either of the first two frames, but was up to the challenge. He made a stop on Tyler Motte's deflection during a four-on-four sequence and later, kicked out his right pad to stop Jacob Trouba's slap shot that changed directions on its way to the net. But as a whole, the Lightning maintained their tight structure. The majority of New York's 13 third-period shots came from the outside and weren't overly dangerous.
During a six-on-four (with the extra attacker on the ice), the Rangers eventually scored a power play goal following a goalmouth scramble. But they would get no closer. In the closing minutes and with the Rangers on a six-on-five, Vasilevskiy made two more saves and the Lightning blocked three shots. The final block led to Palat's empty netter in the dying seconds.
Just as the Rangers did at MSG in Games One and Two, the Lightning held serve at home. Now, as Stamkos stated in his postgame press conference, they must find a way to get a win on on the road. Game Five is Thursday night.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Lightning. 34 saves.
2. Ondrej Palat - Lightning. Goal and two assists.
3. Jan Rutta - Lightning. Two assists.