Alexis Lafrenière scored twice on Tuesday night to power the New York Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden. The win improved the Rangers to 6-2-0 overall and kept them undefeated through five home games this season.
Dylan Garand stopped 25 shots to anchor the defense and secure the 4-1 win while filling in as the starter following Igor Shesterkin’s season-ending injury sustained last Friday in Washington. Fans at Madison Square Garden showered the 24-year-old goaltender with chants of Dylan, Dylan
as he turned away key third-period chances.
Alexis Lafrenière Leads NHL Scoring After Two Goals Against Tampa Bay
Lafrenière wasted no time putting the home side ahead, scoring just 62 seconds into the game by beating Andrei Vasilevskiy from close range. Tye Kartye started the sequence with a hard forecheck behind the net against Victor Hedman, freeing the puck for a feed to the slot.
RANGERS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/k5l5cFSqEe
The early strike gave Lafrenière a career-high four-game goal streak, building on the hat trick he recorded against the New York Islanders on October 6. Midway through the first period, Kartye launched a long backhand flip pass to send Lafrenière away on a breakaway. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick caught the puck in stride and netted his seventh goal of the season.
“When you’re hot, you’re hot.”
Dave Maloney, broadcast analyst via Blueshirt Banter
Zemgus Girgensons capitalized on a 2-on-1 rush before the first intermission, keeping the puck and firing a shot over Garand’s left shoulder for his first goal of the campaign. The strike narrowed the deficit to 2-1 and temporarily halted the Rangers’ momentum. Pontus Holmberg also picked up an assist on the play for the Lightning.
#NYR warmup lines and D pairs v. Tampa Bay are:Perreault-Zibanejad-DorofeyevKartye-Miller-LafreniereCuylle-Laba-TolvanenBjorkstrand-Beaudoin-RempeGavrikov-FoxPettersson-DurziSmits-SchneiderGarandMartinScratches: Morrow (8), Chmelar
Will Cuylle and Mika Zibanejad Seal Victory in Final Frames
The Rangers restored their two-goal cushion late in the second period after a scoreless stretch.
Physical play also punctuated the night, highlighted by a first-period fight between Matt Rempe and the Lightning’s Jeff Viel after Rempe returned to the New York lineup. Both teams traded penalties early in the third period, but New York’s penalty-killing unit successfully neutralized Tampa Bay’s power play opportunities, even as Sean Durzi and Tye Kartye took penalties that forced the hosts to weather shorthanded situations.
With under three minutes remaining, Tampa Bay pulled Vasilevskiy for a 6-on-4 advantage during a delayed penalty following an interference call against Kartye. Mika Zibanejad disrupted a play in the neutral zone, took control of the loose puck, and scored an empty-net shorthanded goal at 17:16 of the third period to put the game out of reach at 4-1.
Historical Records Set at Madison Square Garden
The victory marks a dominant start at Madison Square Garden for the Rangers, who stand 5-0-0 at home in regulation. According to league records, it is only the third time in franchise history that the team has opened a campaign with five consecutive home wins, joining the 1983-84 squad that won six straight and the 1990-91 team that began with eight victories at home.
STAY HOT, ALEXIS LAFRENIERE 🥵 pic.twitter.com/xDLr6FVJsG
The defeat snaps a four-game winning streak for the Lightning, who dropped both of their early-season visits to New York after falling 5-1 in the October 1 season opener. Vasilevskiy finished the night with 19 saves on 22 shots.
Both teams return to action on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The Rangers travel across the river to face the New Jersey Devils, while the Lightning return home to host the Seattle Kraken in Tampa.
Matt Rempe and Jeffrey Viel drop the gloves 👊 pic.twitter.com/HREAcpjwrh
More on Alexis Lafrenière
DURZ FROM THE POINT + COOLS REDIRECTS IT 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/ZXtXWwyIQn
ALEXIS LAFRENIÈRE IS RED HOT!! 🔥He now leads the League in goals with seven!📺: Frozen Frenzy Whiparound coverage on ESPN 2, @ESPNPlus, & Disney+ pic.twitter.com/ac6BGQMdoQ
That lob pass was pretty sweet as well 👀 https://t.co/DXqa2SEw1y pic.twitter.com/3ZerllsO92
KARTS WITH SLICK DISH & LAFFY PUTS HOME HIS SECOND OF THE GAME 😤 pic.twitter.com/bNkSggRKZd
Zibanejad empty-netter should put a bow on this one. 4-1 #NYR
The @NYRangers remain undefeated in Madison Square Garden as Dylan Garand (6 GP) matched Igor Shesterkin and Cam Talbot for the fewest starts to five career wins with the club.#NHLStats: https://t.co/nJpbo80H6q pic.twitter.com/UfBLJFUMGU
Adam Fox factored on Alexis Lafrenière's opening goal for the @NYRangers to extend his season-opening home assist streak to five contests.#NHLStats: https://t.co/nJpbo80H6q pic.twitter.com/4LREZ3pY3B
FINAL: #NYR 4, #GoBolts 1 Make it 5-0 at home for the Rangers, with this being one of their best wins yet. Lafrenière and Kartye continue to hum, as does the Cuylle-Laba-Tolvanen line. Garand made 25 saves. All-around effort.