Tampa Bay has won the Stanley Cup two years in a row.
Should it be a third, you need to find ways to punch holes in the New York Rangers.
With the victory during the night towards Saturday, Swedish time, Rangers has succeeded with something that no other team has done in a long time in the playoff context - to defeat Tampa Bay two games in a row.
- It is a big victory, but we are just getting ready for the next match.
Now it's behind us.
We know how to play against a really good team like Tampa.
The way we have played in the last two matches is the way we have to play to win this (semi) final series, says Rangers coach Gerard Gallant.
Zibanejad's scoring streak continues
During the playoffs, the Rangers have been strong in the games at the home arena Madison Square Garden, and the guests from Florida did not manage to change that this time either.
Nikita Kutjerov certainly gave Tampa Bay the lead in powerplay in the first period, played by Victor Hedman, but so much more was not achieved.
Instead, it was Rangers who equalized via K'Andre Miller, and Kaapo Kakko and Mika Zibanejad respectively arranged the lead and extended it.
Zibanejad's 3-1 goal in the second was a real cold shower for Tampa Bay just over a minute into the period, when the Swede coolly placed a wrist shot via the post.
The 29-year-old has now scored points in seven straight games, with six goals and five assists.
Pressed at the end
Tampa Bay pressed hard during especially the last half of the third period and managed to reduce via Nicholas Paul with two minutes left of the game.
But they did not get any closer than that, much thanks to a couple of great saves by Igor Sjestiorkin, and the final score was 3-2.
- We understood that they would push very hard.
We held back, maybe a little too much for me in the end.
But we fought, found a way and met a very good team.
They pressed on and we made some key saves to keep 3-2, says Gallant.