{"id":41800,"date":"2022-06-08T11:02:38","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T11:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/rangers-outclassed-in-game-4-loss-as-lightning-even-series\/"},"modified":"2022-06-08T11:02:38","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T11:02:38","slug":"rangers-outclassed-in-game-4-loss-as-lightning-even-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/rangers-outclassed-in-game-4-loss-as-lightning-even-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Rangers outclassed in Game 4 loss as Lightning even series"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>TAMPA, Fla. &#8211; The pushback from the Lightning was inevitable, and every Ranger acknowledged it after they built a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final, but the team did not look ready for it.<\/p>\n<p>The Rangers allowed the Lightning to waltz right back into the series with back-to-back wins at home, including the 4-1 beating the visitors took in Game 4 Tuesday night at Amalie Arena, to knot this best-of-the-East showdown at two-all heading back to the Garden.<\/p>\n<p>The Rangers had a golden opportunity, and they swung and missed, twice.  It may have cost them a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that makes us more hungry and angrier,\u201d said Artemi Panarin, who spoiled the Lightning&#8217;s shutout with a too-little-too-late six-on-four power-play goal toward the end of the third period.  &#8220;Sometimes that&#8217;s good when you [lose].  Probably how we react [to] that.  I don&#8217;t think we lost our confidence.  Just be more hungry next game. &#8220;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption>Igor Shesterkin allows a goal during the Rangers&#8217; Game 4 loss to the Lightning on Tuesday.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Corey Sipkin <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>The Lightning looked like an entirely different team in the last two games, like the reigning back-to-back champions they are.  The Rangers, on the other hand, didn&#8217;t look anything like the squad that outscored Tampa Bay 9-4 through Games 1 and 2.<\/p>\n<p>As the Lightning rediscovered their championship-winning formula, the Rangers fell back into habits that plagued them through the start of the season, when goalie Igor Shesterkin carried them to a respectable record as they worked out the kinks in their game.<\/p>\n<p>Shesterkin couldn&#8217;t play hero in this one as he gave up three goals on 29 shots.<\/p>\n<p>The Rangers, meanwhile, couldn&#8217;t do much in the neutral zone, whether it was slowing the Lightning down or powering through to get into the offensive zone.  They were often chasing the play.  While staring up at a two-goal deficit at the start of the third period courtesy of Pat Maroon and Nikita Kucherov, Chris Kreider took two penalties and the Rangers were outshot 6-1 through the opening minutes of the final frame.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers049CS.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Rangers\" class=\"wp-image-22572415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers049CS.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers049CS.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers049CS.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption>A scuffle breaks out between Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Frank Vatrano. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Corey Sipkin <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lightning captain Steven Stamkos then cleaned up a rebound to put the nail in the Rangers&#8217; coffin less than five minutes into the third before an empty-net goal from Ondrej Palat sealed the deal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey better be ready to play harder,\u201d Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant said of his team.  \u201cThat&#8217;s the bottom line.  Now, it&#8217;s a two out of three.  We still got the home ice, but we got to play better. &#8220;<\/p>\n<p>The Rangers were without Ryan Strome, who was a last-minute scratch despite taking pregame warm-ups.  Strome exited the Rangers&#8217; 3-2 loss in Game 3 Sunday afternoon with a lower-body injury, which presumably kept him out of Game 4 as well.  As a result, Kevin Rooney drew back into the lineup for the first time since Game 5 of the second-round series against the Hurricanes.<\/p>\n<p>After Filip Chytil absorbed a hit from Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman in the second period, however, the Rangers were suddenly down to 11 forwards.  The Rangers said Chytil suffered an upper-body injury.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers020CS.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Rangers\" class=\"wp-image-22572421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers020CS.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers020CS.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers020CS.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption>Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers reacts after he allows a goal to Nikita Kucherov.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Corey Sipkin<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But the Lightning were in complete control from puck drop.  Their desperation came through in the last two games, and the Rangers didn&#8217;t have an answer for it.  The Rangers now have to take two of the next three to deny the Lightning their 11th straight playoff series victory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe expected to get their best,\u201d Jacob Trouba said.  \u201cWe&#8217;re one of three teams left here.  It&#8217;s competitive hockey and you expect their best.  You want their best and we want to show that we can beat the best.  We feel we&#8217;re an up-and-coming team and we&#8217;ve arrived and we want to play these games. &#8220;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TAMPA, Fla. &#8211; The pushback from the Lightning was inevitable, and every Ranger acknowledged it after they built a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final, but the team did not look ready for it. The Rangers allowed the Lightning to waltz right back into the series with back-to-back wins at home, including the &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/rangers-outclassed-in-game-4-loss-as-lightning-even-series\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Rangers outclassed in Game 4 loss as Lightning even series<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[11],"tags":[2726,15662,1526,2729,2730,295,3437],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/060722Rangers018CS.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41800"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41800\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}