The New York Rangers were a determined group from the opening puck drop, and the result was a win over one of the NHL's best.
J.T. Miller scored 1:19 into overtime and the Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday night.
Miller skated around defenseman Anton Stralman and beat Andrei Vasilevskiy. New York also got a goal from Chris Kreider, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots.
"I think the key going into this game was to control the top guys and we did a really good job," Lundqvist said. "It was a fun game to play. We followed our game plan and that's something we have to focus on."
Tampa Bay's top line of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov was held off the scoreboard. The trio finished with eight shots.
The Rangers have won consecutive games for the first time this season.
Yanni Gourde had a goal and Vasilevskiy made 33 saves for the Lightning (10-2-2). Vasilevskiy had won nine consecutive decisions.
"He clearly got us the point," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said of Vasilevskiy, who is 10-1-1.
Kreider opened the scoring during a 3-on-1 at 18:34 of the first.
Gourde tied it at 1 with a short-handed goal off a nifty pass through the slot by Victor Hedman 11 minutes into the second.
Vasilevskiy stopped Kevin Shattenkirk's breakaway shot and made a stick save on Jesper Fast's in-close rebound after Michael Grabner's shot hit the post in the first. He also made several strong saves in the third following Tampa Bay turnovers.
Lundqvist turned aside Stamkos' left-circle power-play shot during the first and the Lightning captain's in-close backhander early on in the second.
Stamkos, playing in his 600th NHL game, was held pointless for just the second time in 14 games.
Grabner had a goal early in the second disallowed because the puck was kept in the offensive zone by a high stick.
Tampa Bay had Alex Killorn's goal three minutes into the third disallowed due to goalie interference. The call was confirmed by a video review following a Lightning challenge.
"I wanted to come out and I can't come out," Lundqvist said. "I can't play the position. Sometimes players think they have to bump the goalie but he comes in there and I can't come out. It's the right call, for sure."
Cooper disagreed, saying "It was a bad call."
NOTES: Rangers coach Alain Vigneault got his 619th NHL win, moving within one of tying Bryan Murray for 12th place on the all-time list. ... Tampa Bay D Dan Girardi, who spent parts of 11 seasons with the Rangers, faced his old team for the first time. ... Rangers D Ryan McDonagh was in the lineup a day after sitting out practice. ... Lightning C Cedric Paquette (upper body) missed his seventh straight game but might return next wee
UP NEXT
Rangers: Wrap up a two-game Florida swing Saturday night against the Panthers.
Lightning: Host Columbus on Saturday night.
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