Vesey scores twice, Quick wins again as Rangers down Lightning 3-1

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Vesey scored twice and Jonathan Quick made 19 saves as the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 on Wednesday night for their third straight win.

Jonny Brodzinski also scored for the Rangers, who won for the second time in three days after the All-Star break. Quick has started both games.

Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 21 saves. The Lightning had won three straight and eight of their previous nine.

Vesey gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead as he roofed a backhand past Vasilevskiy at 1:15 of the middle period.

Brodzinski increased the lead with this third goal with 2:14 remaining in the second.

Hagel got Tampa Bay on the scoreboard at 5:29 of the third to make it one-goal game.

Vesey then sealed the win with a empty-net goal with 1:01 remaining for his 11th of the season.

Tampa Bay had its first power-play chance of the night with 4:38 left in the third when Mika Zibanejad was sent off for holding. However, the Lightning were held at bay by Quick, who was making his third straight start and improved to 12-4-2 in his first season with the Rangers.

The Rangers beat the Lightning for the fifth straight time at home.

The game was delayed at the seven-minute mark of the second when Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev had to leave the ice on a stretcher after his left leg bent at an awkward angle in a play along the boards in the Tampa Bay end. Sergachev became tangled with Rangers forward Alexei Lafreniere and his left skate seemed to stick in the ice as his knee twisted unnaturally.

Sergachev had returned Wednesday after missing 17 games with a leg injury suffered in December.

UP NEXT

Lightning: At the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Rangers: At Chicago on Friday night.

___

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL