3 Keys: Rangers at Lightning, Game 3, Eastern Conference Final
New York looking to extend series lead on road; Tampa Bay will play without Point again
TAMPA -- Brayden Point won't be returning to save the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers at Amalie Arena on Sunday. So the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions will need to find another way to turn the best-of-7 series around after losing the first two games on the road.
Although Point, who scored a League-high 14 goals in each of the previous two postseasons, has skated the past three days while working his way back from a lower-body injury that has sidelined him since Game 7 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lightning coach Jon Cooper said the forward won't be available Sunday.
Cooper hinted Saturday that he is considering changing his lineup after dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen for each of the six games Point has missed. That could mean veteran Riley Nash or rookie
Cole Koepke
getting in as the 12th forward.
RELATED: [Complete Rangers vs. Lightning series coverage]
Steven Stamkos also could play more at center to help fill the void created by Point's absence after shifting back to the middle from left wing late in the second period of Tampa Bay's 3-2 loss in Game 2 on Friday.
"'Stammer' can play in any situation possible," Cooper said. "He's played a lot of center this year. He's played a lot of wing. We're trying to find some answers last night and score some goals. When he went back in the middle, he did some good things for us, so we'll see how that bodes well for tomorrow if we continue to do that.
"But take away positions guys are playing. It's our team game that's got to get better and we know that."
Conversely, the Rangers want to take what they did in the first two games at Madison Square Garden and continue playing the same way on the road.
"That's what you got to do," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "The games at the Garden are behind us. We had good success with those two games, obviously, played real good hockey. But now we're going to Tampa and have got to play real well in here. So tough game tomorrow afternoon in a good building but play the same game."
Teams that take a 3-0 lead hold an all-time series record of 198-4 (98.0 percent) winning a best-of-7 NHL playoff series.
Here are 3 keys to Game 3:
1. Avoid turnovers
Tampa Bay committed 50 giveaways in the first two games after it had 31 during its four-game sweep of the Florida Panthers in the second round. That bevy of turnovers fueled the Rangers' speed and rush game and kept the Lightning on their heels for much of the first two games.
"Obviously, they're out there defending well, they're playing well," Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli said. "A little bit [is] on us too, not giving it away, not turning pucks over. But they're doing a good job of kind of clogging everything. We just have to be making smarter decisions with the puck in different areas of the ice."
2. Get in the forecheck
The Rangers were the better team at establishing their forecheck in the first two games. That enabled New York to generate sustained pressure in the offensive zone that led to scoring chances while also spending less time defending.
The Lightning had its most success in the second half of Game 2 when it began getting the puck in behind the Rangers defenseman and pressured them on the forecheck.
"Our forecheck is a big part of our game and when we get to it early and we initiate that side of it, I think we create more opportunities for ourselves," Rangers forward Tyler Motte said.
3. Make Igor work harder
Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has had his hands full facing odd-man rushes and high-quality scoring chances against the Rangers' skilled offensive players, allowing nine goals on 62 shots in the two games (.854 save percentage). But the Lightning don't think they've done enough to make Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin's job more difficult.
"I think he's been seeing way too many pucks," Lightning forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare said of Shesterkin, who allowed four goals on 70 shots in the first two games (.943 save percentage). "We've been a little too much to the side instead of maybe taking some of his eyes away."
Rangers projected lineup
Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Frank Vatrano
Artemi Panarin -- Ryan Strome -- Andrew Copp
Alexis Lafreniere -- Filip Chytil -- Kaapo Kakko
Tyler Motte -- Barclay Goodrow -- Ryan Reaves
Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller -- Jacob Trouba
Justin Braun -- Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Alexandar Georgiev
Scratched: Kevin Rooney, Patrik Nemeth, Libor Hajek, Greg McKegg, Julien Gauthier, Jonny Brodzinski, Dryden Hunt
Injured: Sammy Blais (knee)
Lightning projected lineup
Steven Stamkos -- Anthony Cirelli -- Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat -- Nick Paul -- Alex Killorn
Brandon Hagel -- Ross Colton -- Corey Perry
Patrick Maroon -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Victor Hedman -- Erik Cernak
Ryan McDonagh -- Zach Bogosian
Mikhail Sergachev -- Cal Foote
Jan Rutta
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Brian Elliott
Scratched:Riley Nash
Injured: Brayden Point (lower body)
