Lightning look to close out Rangers in Game 6

The Tampa Bay Lightning are one win away from their second ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and the Lightning will have a chance on their home ice to eliminate the New York Rangers and advance to the championship round with a win on Tuesday night.

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The Lightning fell behind 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals but have won three of the last four games to get to where they are now. Tampa Bay blanked New York at Madison Square Garden in Game 5, with Ben Bishop saving all 26 shots he saw.

Valtteri Filppula got the Lightning on the board first in the second period, and then Steven Stamkos finished the scoring with a power play goal about five minutes later. Stamkos also assisted on the Filppula goal, giving him 17 points in the postseason, which is tied for third in the NHL. Tyler Johnson was kept off the score sheet in Game 5, but the youngster is still second in playoff scoring with 18 points.

The last time Tampa Bay was this close to the Stanley Cup Final was 2011, when Stamkos and his Lightning were shutout by the Boston Bruins in Game 7, 1-0. Tampa Bay hadn’t won another playoff game since until this season, as they missed the playoffs two years in a row after that Game 7 disappointment and were swept by the Montreal Canadiens last season.

The last time the Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Final, they took home the Cup by beating the Calgary Flames in seven games in 2004.

As for the Rangers, they’ll try to come back in a series once again. New York overcame a 3-1 series deficit against the Washington Capitals in the second round, and while this series deficit isn’t quite as daunting, it’ll still be difficult to pull off yet another comeback.

Tampa Bay is a 1½-goal favorite on its home ice in Game 6. The over/under for the game is five goals.