Alberts Šmits logged 14 minutes and nine seconds of ice time, blocked one shot, delivered one hit, and finished with a team-high plus-minus rating of +3 as the New York Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5–1 on Thursday, lsm.lv reported. In his first two NHL career games, the 18-year-old has averaged 15 minutes and 32 seconds of ice time with a positive +2 rating.
New York Rangers Dominate Tampa Bay Lightning at Home
The Rangers controlled the contest from the opening period, building a 2–0 lead after twenty minutes before extending it to 4–1 by the second intermission. Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Dorofeyev, Eeli Tolvane, and Gabe Perreault supplied the scoring for New York, while Nikita Kucherov provided the lone goal for the Lightning. Igor Shesterkin earned first-star honors for the Rangers, capping his performance by scoring into an empty net in the final moments of the third period. With that tally, Shesterkin became the 18th goaltender in NHL history to score a goal and the first in franchise history to achieve the feat. Across the team’s opening two games, Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Adam Fox have each accumulated two points for New York. Following this victory, the Rangers sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with two points after two matches.
Zemgus Girgensons and Tampa Bay Lightning Fall Short
Zemgus Girgensons logged seven minutes and 39 seconds of ice time for Tampa Bay, which included 37 seconds spent killing penalties. The Latvian forward registered three hits and recorded a -1 rating. Following the defeat, the Lightning sit in 16th place in the Eastern Conference standings without a point after their opening game of the season.
Alberts Šmits Continues Early NHL Adaptation
The 18-year-old defenseman has primarily skated on the Rangers’ third defensive pairing alongside Braden Schneider, after losing one puck during the match against Tampa Bay alongside his positive metrics.
Upcoming Schedule for New York and Tampa Bay
The Rangers return to the ice on Saturday night, traveling to face the Detroit Red Wings in an away matchup, while the Red Wings enter the contest after missing Larkin due to an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Lightning return home to host the Washington Capitals on Sunday night.
Worth a look
