The Western Conference Finals saw some of the league’s top scorers face off: Colorado forward Nathan McKinnon and Edmonton captain Connor McDavid, so fans can expect a series of high-scoring matches.

The confrontation in the East, on the other hand, was supposed to become a place for the fight for the title of the best goalkeeper in the league between Andrei Vasilevsky and Igor Shesterkin and did not promise games with a large number of pucks.

Unexpectedly, the “Rangers” and “Tampa” pleasantly surprised by giving a productive game – the “blueshirts” confidently dealt with the “lightning” 6:2. Fans from New York could not help but take the chance to offend Andrei Vasilevsky, who conceded six goals, and chanted throughout the stadium: “Igor is better!”

An uncomfortable opponent

It took the Lightning just four games to beat Florida, the strongest team in the regular season, in the second round. After a confident victory over the Panthers, it seems that no one will stop them on their way to the third cup in a row. But it is the Rangers that seem to be the most uncomfortable opponent for the Lightning. And it’s all about the Russian players of the Blueshirts, who give out phenomenal statistics against Tampa.

Photo: © REUTERS / Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Since 2019, Artemy Panarin has played 10 matches against the Linting, in which he won nine times and scored 12 (3 + 9) points. And in the 2018/19 season, Artemy, as part of Columbus, knocked out the lightning from the first round, earning 5 (2+3) points. Shesterkin does not have such a rich experience of playing against Tampa, but his statistics are also impressive – three wins in three games (including dry ones) and 95.8% of reflected shots.

And already in the first match of the Eastern Conference finals, the Russians confirmed that the Lightning was a convenient opponent for them. Panarin scored 2 (1+1) points, and Shesterkin got another victory.

Igor is better than Vasilevsky

Vasilevskiy’s match didn’t go well from the very beginning – the keeper conceded after the first shot. Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider ran to the counterattack and quickly played a 2-on-1 exit – Kreider received a pass from a partner and sent the puck into the goal with one touch.

The current champion was not stopped by a quick goal by the Rangers – already in the middle of the first period, Stephen Stamkos managed to level the score. “Tampa” after an abandoned puck on courage rushed forward and could have scored more, but Shesterkin stopped all the opponent’s attacks. Igor has 11 out of 12 parried shots in the starting 20 minutes.

And in the second period, viewers might have thought that they were watching the Western Conference Finals, and not the Eastern Conference – the teams staged an assist shootout, throwing four goals for two.

First, Frank Vatrano, with the transfer of Adam Fox, again brought the Rangers forward, and a minute later Ondrej Palat restored the balance in the match. It seemed that in the remaining time the meeting will be held in the same stubborn and equal struggle. But after Palat’s puck, something broke in the game, and they couldn’t beat Shesterkin. Moreover, Vasilevsky’s team also experienced difficulties in defense – the Blueshirts locked the opponent in the zone and carried out long positional attacks.

The Rangers, on the contrary, gained momentum and in the middle of the second period, Filip Khytil scored a double within five minutes. Tampa fans still hoped for a positive outcome of the match, because their favorites have repeatedly demonstrated the champion character and turned the game upside down in the end.

Photo: © REUTERS / Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

But Panarin prevented them from showing character – at the start of the final 20-minutes, the striker first scored, and then Zibanejad converted the majority from his pass in the middle of the period. Panarin was criticized for his weak performance in the current playoffs, but the Russian showed that he was serious about improving.

After the sixth puck, Rangers fans were already confident that their team would not let go of the game and win in the first match of the series. Therefore, they did not miss the opportunity to gloat over Vasilevsky – the fans chanted “Igor is better.” Andrei has long been famous for his composure and it is hardly possible to psychologically put pressure on him in this way. But you can definitely get angry.

The field players of Tampa also got angry at the end of the match – the Lightning hockey players provoked a massive 5-on-5 brawl two minutes before the end of the meeting. Lightning striker Pat Maroon showed himself the most, who tried to fight Ryan Reeves, but the referees did an excellent job and separated the players in time. As a result, none of the hockey players managed to really cut themselves, and the referee, with an eye on the next game, decided to calm the situation by removing all the participants in the brawl.

As a result, the Rangers got a big victory over Tampa — 6:2. In the first match, the Blueshirts were helped by the Russians Shesterkin and Panarin. Tampa, in the interval between matches, will have to seriously think about how to beat Igor. Otherwise, the campaign for the third cup will soon be interrupted.

NHL. Playoffs

New York Rangers (New York) – Tampa Bay Lightning (Tampa) – 6:2 (1:1, 3:1, 2:0)

Goals: Crider, 1:11. Vatrano, 27:50. Khytil, 30:09, 35:43. Panarin, 40:30. Zibanejad, 46:06 (bol.). — Stamkos, 7:18. Chambers, 28:32.