Rangers take down Lightning in hard-hitting chippy affair

The Rangers and Lightning are likely to finish third in the NHL’s Metropolitan and Atlantic Divisions, respectively, in which case they could not meet in the playoffs until the conference finals.

But how delicious that would be — a rematch from last season’s final four and the fourth consecutive year a New York team got Tampa Bay for that round. (The Islanders and Rangers have lost three such series in a row to the Lightning.)

For now, though, we will have to make do with what we got on Wednesday, which was a surprisingly spirited evening at Madison Square Garden for a not particularly meaningful regular-season contest.

The Rangers won the entertaining, wide open game, 6-3, after taking a 3-0 lead in the first period.

There were four fights and several other skirmishes, and the teams totaled 70 minutes in penalties.

It sure didn’t look like a meaningless game.

“I don’t think there’s a meaningless game in this league, ever,” said Tyler Motte, who scored two goals.

“Two teams that have a little bit of history dating back to last year, both competing, both gearing up for the playoffs, and you kind of have to match that intensity, especially in your own building.”

Said Ryan Lindgren, “Some fights out there, there was a lot of jawing between the benches. It was a fun game. It was a playoff atmosphere. It was a good win for us and it shows that we can play that kind of game.”

Coach Gerard Gallant did not disagree with that, but he also said, “I don’t want the next four to be like that.”

Those four, starting Thursday night in St. Louis, will get the Rangers to the games that really count.

Lindgren had missed 17 of 18 games with a shoulder injury and was a welcome return on defense. But in the first period the Rangers lost another defenseman in captain Jacob Trouba.

Trouba left with what the team called an upper-body injury after he fell face first onto the ice following a collision with the Lightning’s Corey Perry.

Gallant said Trouba is day-to-day and would travel with the team to St. Louis.

The Rangers were without Patrick Kane because of a lower-body issue and went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

The Rangers (46-21-11) led 4-3 deep into the third period when Mika Zibanejad took a shot that hit the post and Chris Kreider put in the rebound to make it 5-3 at 11:38. Artemi Panarin made it 6-3 with a power-play goal at 13:49.

For Tampa Bay (45-27-6), the night was a prelude to a more significant game on their trip to New York, when they visit the Islanders on Thursday night in a game crucial to the Islanders’ playoff chances. The Islanders at least can hope to face a tired team after Wednesday’s dramatics.

The Rangers scored first at 6:13 of the opening period, when Kreider tipped a long shot by Vladimir Tarasenko past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (31 saves) on a power play.

Not long thereafter, at 7:41, Kaapo Kakko scored a goal in a third straight game. His wrist shot from the right circle eluded Vasilevskiy and it was 2-0. Motte’s goal at 10:21 made it 3-0.

But with Alexis Lafreniere off for high sticking, Alex Killorn tipped a Mikhail Sergachev shot past Igor Shesterkin (28 saves), and it was 3-1 at 10:40 of the first.

Tampa Bay made it 3-2 at 7:10 of the second. But a mere 15 seconds later, Motte broke in alone for his second goal, and it was 4-2.

At 11:34 of the second, Shesterkin made a save but Brandon Hagel scored on the rebound, as Shesterkin had fallen back and was sitting in the goal when he grabbed the puck.

Killorn got his stick into Shesterkin as he sat on the ice, sparking another brawl, led by Lindgren.

“I didn’t really see what he did,” Lindgren said, “but what I did see I didn’t like.”

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.