Mika Zibanejad scored twice and added an assist as the host New York Rangers ended one of the more disappointing seasons in team history with a 4-0 victory over the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
Zibanejad scored twice in a span of 3:34 in the third period when the Rangers (39-36-7, 85 points) pulled away. Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves for his sixth shutout this season and 21st of his career.
Vincent Trocheck scored a short-handed goal early in the second to open the scoring and Zibanejad set up Chris Kreider’s tally early in the third as the Rangers controlled the final period of legendary television play-by-play man Sam Rosen’s 40-year career.
The Rangers ended the season with three wins in four games but will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season after finishing with the most points in the NHL last season and with at least 107 points in each of the previous three seasons.
Trocheck scored New York’s NHL-leading 16th short-handed goal and ended his third season on the team with 26 goals and 59 points. Kreider, the longest-tenured Ranger, scored what might have been his final goal with the team and finished with 22 goals and 30 points after getting 127 goals in the previous three seasons.
The game was of little consequence for the Lightning (47-27-8, 102 points), who clinched home-ice advantage in the first round and finished second in the Atlantic Division behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tampa Bay will open the postseason at home against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay goalie Jonas Johansson stopped 18 shots.
After Nikita Kucherov lost the puck near the blue line as the Lightning attempted to clear the puck, Trocheck started a give and go with J.T. Miller. Trocheck slipped by Kucherov and Brayden Point, drifted to the bottom edge of the left circle, got the return feed and lifted the puck over Johansson’s shoulder.
The Rangers took a 2-0 lead 4:02 into the third when Kreider regained the puck after his shot got blocked by Tampa Bay forward Yanni Gourde. Kreider regained possession in the slot and his hard wrister went over Johansson to the top right corner of the net.
Zibanejad made it 3-0 with 7:10 left when he took a cross-ice pass from K’Andre Miller and ripped a one-timer from the left circle by Johansson. He extended the lead by redirecting a pass from Kreider into the left side of the net with 3:36 left.
–Field Level Media
