Rangers kick off Eastern Conference final with commanding win over Lightning

Filip Chytil scored twice in the second period and the host New York Rangers routed the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Frank Vatrano each had a goal and an assist, Chris Kreider also scored and Alexis Lafreniere and Adam Fox each had two assists to help New York win its franchise-record seventh straight home playoff game. Igor Shesterkin stopped 37 shots to improve to 8-3 in the last 11 games.

Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist, and Ondrej Palat also scored for Tampa Bay, which had won six straight and was playing for the first time since completing its second-round sweep of Florida on May 23. Andrei Vasilevskiy, who gave up just three goals in four games against the Panthers, had 28 saves.

The score was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes before the Rangers took control in the second period. They scored three times while outshooting the Lightning 17-10.

Vatrano gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 7:50 of the second as he pounced on a loose puck near the left circle and fired a shot past Vasilevskiy high on the blocker side for his fourth of the post-season.

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Just 25 seconds later, Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman fired a shot off the goalpost, and seconds later the Rangers brought the puck the other way and Vasilevskiy made a sliding save to deny Ryan Strome.

Palat tied it at 8:32, backhanding the rebound of a shot by Stamkos past Shesterkin for his fifth of the playoffs.

The Rangers regained the lead 1:19 later. Kaapo Kakko had the puck behind the Lightning net, came out to the goalie's right and sent a pass to