Lightning say it won’t be easy to dispatch resilient Rangers

By FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning know what type of effort it will take to finish off the New York Rangers. The two-time defending champions are one win away from a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, where they would continue their bid to become the first team in 40 years to win three consecutive NHL titles. The Rangers are down 3-2 to the Lightning in the Eastern Conference final but have been especially resilient this postseason. In addition to overcoming a 3-2 playoff series deficit to eliminate the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round, New York rebounded from losing the first two games to Carolina in the second round to oust the Hurricanes in seven games. Game 6 is Saturday night at Amalie Arena, where the Lightning wons Game 3 and 4 after losing the first two on the road.