The Lightning went on a heater after giving up five goals to the Rangers in their season opener at the start of this month, winning their next four games by a combined margin of 15-7.
Upon their return to Madison Square Garden, however, the Blueshirts poured cold water all over Tampa Bay’s streak.
A 4-1 victory over the Lightning on Tuesday night kept the Rangers undefeated on home ice through five games and was their sixth win in the past seven contests, not to mention their second win in the span of less than two weeks over a team that finished fifth in the NHL last season.
The Order of Protection on behalf of The Garden has never been so absolute.
And with it, the Rangers’ 5-0 record at home moves into third all time in the club’s record books for the longest home winning streak to open a season.
Alexis Lafrenière continued his torrid start to the season with his second multigoal effort in four games, which also extended his point streak to five games — the longest of his seven-year NHL career.
The 2020 No. 1 pick now leads the NHL with seven tallies through the first eight contests of the season.
This Rangers team has been galvanized while defending home ice so far. Instead of leaving the ice to boos, the team is receiving standing ovations mid-play for hemming opponents into their zone.
Visiting MSG is no longer the walk in the park it was all of last season.
In February, the Rangers picked up a hidden gem off waivers in Tye Kartye.
The 25-year-old has been a relentless presence on the ice for the Rangers since he arrived, but he’s off to an especially impactful start to his first full season in a red, white and blue sweater.
Each of Lafrenière’s two first-period goals doesn’t happen without the heads-up plays made by Kartye.
After his pressure on the forecheck beat Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and allowed the Rangers to swarm the net, Kartye — from behind the net — backhanded the puck to Lafrenière in the slot for the 1-0 lead just over a minute into the game.
Though it didn’t compare to the backhanded lob that Kartye flipped to a streaking Lafrenière for a breakaway goal later in the first period.
In his first game back from six straight as a healthy scratch, Matt Rempe dropped the gloves with Jeffrey Viel to rev up Madison Square Garden.
It was a near-perfect opening period for the Rangers until rookie defenseman Alberts Smits got caught pinching too far up.
Zemgus Girgensons took it himself on the two-on-one opportunity and beat rookie goalie Dylan Garand right over his left shoulder to cut the Rangers lead in half.
The Rangers’ third line is the only one head coach Mike Sullivan hasn’t touched yet this season, and it’s evident why.
After some heavy play along the walls to maintain possession with his linemates, Will Cuylle registered his third goal of the season as the lone goal scorer in the second period.
Deflecting a Sean Durzi shot from the top of the zone, the 24-year-old gave his team a 3-1 lead entering the second intermission.
