The Captain Leads The Way As Lightning Advance To 3rd Straight Cup Final

@jayRecher

He's #91 in your programs, but the #1 leader in sports right now.

Steven Stamkos scored a pair of goals and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Final matchup to win the series 4-2 & advance to their 3rd straight Stanley Cup Final.

Game 1 against the Avalanche will be in Colorado on Wednesday night.

Stamkos' second goal came at the 13:28 mark of the 3rd, just 21 seconds after the Rangers Frank Vatrano scored a power play goal following a holding call on the Lightning captain.

Stamkos' opened the scoring when he ripped a snapshot just shy of the right circle past the blocker of New York netminder Igor Shesterkin to put Tampa Bay ahead 1-0 at 10:43 of the 2nd.

Neither team scored in the 1st, but the Lightning did control the majority of play, outshooting the Rangers 11-7.

Tampa Bay had some great looks through the first half of the game on Shesterkin. Cirelli had two looks in-close all alone but couldn't convert & then Kucherov took a pass from Stamkos on a 2-on-1 and backhanded it on goal but the Rangers goalie made the save.

The Lightning scratched and clawed and persevered through a lot to take home this win.

Corey Perry took a big hit from Jacob Trouba that could have been called for interference, but the referees kept the whistles in their pockets for that one.

Victor Hedman took a hit up high from Alexis Lafreniere that had him go to the Tampa Bay locker room for the majority of the 2nd, but he returned to start the 3rd period.

Erik Cernak went to the locker room in the 3rd after blocking a shot from Mika Zibanejad and missed a few shifts, but he returned to finish the game for Tampa Bay.

Shesterkin made 29 saves in defeat for New York.

*****

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

NONE

2nd Period

1. Tampa Bay - Stamkos - (Palat, Sergachev) - 10:43

3rd Period

1. New York - PPG - Vatrano - (Copp) - 13:07
2. Tampa Bay - Stamkos (2) - (Kucherov, Palat) - 13:28

*****

PENALTY SUMMARY

1st Period

NONE

2nd Period

1. New York - Rooney - (Roughing) - 3:29
2. Tampa Bay - Sergachev - (Roughing) - 3:29
3. New York - Panarin - (High Sticking) - 12:59

3rd Period

1. Tampa Bay - Perry - (High Sticking) - 2:26
2. Tampa Bay - Stamkos - (Holding) - 11:45

PHOTO : Getty Images