NEW YORK — The Tampa Bay Lightning are one win from the Stanley Cup Final.
Center Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist as the Lightning defeated the New York Rangers 2-0 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.
The Lightning lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. Game 6 will be played Tuesday night in Tampa, Florida.
Goaltender Ben Bishop, who allowed 10 goals in Games 3 and 4 of this series, stopped 24 shots for his second shutout of the postseason. Bishop is a former University of Maine standout.
Center Valtteri Filppula scored his third goal of the playoffs for the Lightning.
Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist stopped 20 of 22 shots in the losing effort.
After a scoreless and uneventful first period with 10 total shots, the Lightning struck twice during the second period.
Filppula’s first goal in nine games gave the Lightning a 1-0 advantage at 13:29. The play began when defenseman Anton Stralman connected with Stamkos on a long pass through the neutral zone. Filppula cut to the middle, took a pass from Stamkos and snapped a shot that beat Lundqvist to the stick side.
With 1:38 remaining in the period, Stamkos made it 2-0 with a power-play goal. All he needed to do was tap the puck into an empty net after right winger Nikita Kucherov connected with left winger Ondrej Palat, who hit Stamkos with a pass at the top of the crease for the pretty tic-tac-toe goal.
The Rangers, who are 14-3 when facing elimination since 2012, pulled Lundqvist for an extra skater with a little more than three minutes remaining in regulation. Center Derick Brassard and Palat were given matching minor slashing penalties with 1:39, giving the Rangers a 5-on-4 skater advantage.
Left winger Chris Kreider put a shot on goal with 52 seconds remaining, but Bishop shrugged the puck into the netting. Left winger Rick Nash was also denied on a rebound attempt as the Lightning goalie kept the shutout.
NOTES: Lightning D Matt Carle returned after missing Game 4 with an undisclosed injury and played 18:08. … Lightning scratches included RW Jonathan Marchessault, LW Jonathan Drouin, C Vladislav Namestnikov and D Mark Barbeiro. … Rangers RW Mats Zuccarello (undisclosed) missed his 12th consecutive game. He hasn’t played since Game 5 in the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Coach Alain Vigneault said Zuccarello is day-to-day. … Rangers D Matt Hunwick was a healthy scratch.
Blackhawks 5,Ducks 4 (2 OT)
CHICAGO — Antoine Vermette’s goal at 5:37 of the second overtime gave the Chicago Blackhawks a 5-4 comeback win over the Anaheim Ducks Saturday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at the United Center.
Chicago tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2, with Game 5 in Anaheim on Monday and Game 6 back in Chicago on Wednesday.
It was a spectacular rally as Chicago saw a 3-1 lead in the third period quickly turn into a 4-3 deficit as the Ducks scored three goals in 47 seconds. Chicago left winger Patrick Kane’s goal at 12:38 of the third period tied the game, sending the contest into overtime.
Vermette was a healthy scratch in Game 3 but earned a reprieve to play Saturday, and wound up scoring not only his second goal of the playoffs, but gave his team a brand new start in the series.
Anaheim goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 35 of Chicago’s 40 shots, while winning Chicago goalie Corey Crawford stopped 47 of Anaheim’s 51 shots
Chicago scored with 47 seconds left in the first period. Left winger Brandon Saad avoided a trip and zoomed in on Anaheim goalie Frederik Andersen, ending with a wrist shot that reached the net for his fourth goal of the postseason.
The Ducks managed just six shots against Crawford in the first period and the Blackhawks pummeled Andersen with 14 shots.
It was virtually the opposite in the second period as Anaheim outshot Chicago 13-6.
The Ducks tied it with 1:46 remaining in the second period when center Emerson Etem scored his third goal of the playoffs on a tip-in past Crawford.