Rangers escape another close call

Associated Press

NEW YORK

The New York Rangers aren’t the same team the Tampa Bay Lightning dominated in the regular season.

Not even close, and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals showed that.

Dominic Moore scored with 2:25 to play, the defense limited the Lightning’s high-powered offense and the Rangers defeated goaltender Ben Bishop and the Lightning 2-1 Saturday to move within three wins of returning to the Stanley Cup Final.

The game-winning goal came just 30 seconds after Moore stepped out of the penalty box, and it capped another nail-biter for the Rangers, who have played 15 consecutive one-goal games in the postseason.

It was typical of the postseason. Nothing pretty. Kevin Hayes sent the puck into the crease and Moore got position and had the puck deflect off his skate into the net.

“I think it’s just a matter of wanting to win,” said Moore, who raised his fists and looked up after scoring. “We had lots of looks, couple just before that. I drove it in front and puck rolled off my tape. Just tried to stay with it and work for a good bounce, and finally it came.”

Moore had gotten position on former Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman, whom he had taken down minutes earlier to put Tampa Bay on a power play.”

“It’s one of those things you can’t do much about,” Bishop said after losing to the Rangers for the first time in nine career games.

The Rangers have won nine games this postseason and have seven victories by a 2-1 score.

“I think we’re just calm out there,” Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi said. “We’re not nervous. We’re like, they tied it up, no big deal. They make a good play on it, make a good shot. We just stick to our game plan. We never deviate from it. I think that’s what helps us in the one-goal games.”

The series opener was unlike any of the three games between the Rangers and Lightning in the regular season. Tampa Bay won all three by a combined 15-7 margin in giving Bishop an 8-0 career mark against the Rangers.

Derek Stepan, who scored the Game 7 winner against Washington on Wednesday night, also scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves.

Ondrej Palat tied the game on a power-play goal early in the third period. Bishop had 28 saves.

Game 2 will be played at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

The Rangers took three penalties in the third period and they seemed to be in trouble when Moore swung his stick and took Stralman down with 4:55 to play in regulation.