New York Rangers hand Tampa Bay Lightning first consecutive playoff losses since 2019

NEW YORK — The Rangers won Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals and ended an NHL-record streak for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the process.

The two-time Stanley Cup champions had won 18 straight games following a loss in the Stanley Cup playoffs, last losing consecutive games in April 2019. Those losses came during a sweep by the Columbus Blue Jackets, which was the last time the Lightning were down 2-0 in a series before the Rangers' 3-2 win on Friday night at Madison Square Garden gave them consecutive victories to start the conference final.

«It's been a heck of a ride in terms of responding after losses the last couple of years,» captain Steven Stamkos said. «It shows the character of this group. It's the hardest trophy to win. You're going to come across some adverse moments. This is certainly one of them.»

Coach Jon Cooper didn't see the end of the streak as a debilitating movement for his team.

«At some point, you're gonna lose two in a row in the playoffs,» he said. «The fact that we haven't in how many years is remarkable. You could take a second here and say, 'Hell of a job, boys.' But for the most part, streaks come to an end, and it came to an end for us tonight. Did it knock us out of the playoffs? It did not. Do we have a hill to climb? There's no question. I don't think I'm being Captain Obvious saying that. But I do think that we have better in us.»

The Lightning players after Game 2 said that the loss was due to poor execution on their part. Too many east-west plays and not enough north-south offense. Too many turnovers that led to Rangers' chances. Allowing New York to control the puck for about half the contest, before the Lightning found their game and a sense of urgency in the third period.

Cooper