Rangers 2, Lightning 1
NEW YORK -- Center Dominic Moore's goal with 2:25 remaining in the game gave the New York Rangers a 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The Rangers had just killed a Lightning penalty when center Kevin Hayes fired a puck toward the front of the net that ricocheted off the skate of Moore and past goaltender Ben Bishop for the deciding goal.
Game 2 of the East final will take place in New York on Monday.
Rangers center Derek Stepan, who scored the series-winning goal in overtime of Game 7 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, delivered his fourth goal of the playoffs.
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves for the Rangers.
Left winger Ondrej Palat had a power-play goal for the Lightning, who received 28 saves from Bishop.
Stepan's goal with 12.7 seconds remaining in the second period broke a scoreless tie.
The play began when left winger Chris Kreider skated through the slot and knocked the stick of Bishop out of his hands. Kreider took a shot from the high slot that was blocked, but the puck fell right to Stepan, who chipped it past Bishop for his fourth goal of the postseason.
Palat pulled the Lightning even, 1-1, at 6:45 of the third period. With Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in the penalty box, center Tyler Johnson found Palat with a cross-ice pass that ended with the left winger rifling a one-timer under the crossbar for his fourth goal of the playoffs.
The Rangers had several dangerous chances in the first period.
Stepan was denied by Bishop on a breakaway and Hayes had an open chance from the slot, but rang the puck off the crossbar. Left winger J.T. Miller was denied on the doorstep as Bishop extended his right leg to make a save.
NOTES: Lightning RW Ryan Callahan played in Game 1 after missing Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens in the second round. Callahan underwent an emergency appendectomy Monday in Tampa. ... Lightning C Brian Boyle did not play because of an undisclosed injury. The team listed him as day-to-day. ... Rangers RW Mats Zuccarello did not play because of to a suspected concussion. He missed the second round because of the injury. ... Rangers D Matt Hunwick was a healthy scratch. ... Rangers LW Tanner Glass did not practice Friday but was in the lineup Saturday.