TAMPA – Game 6 was a test for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and they failed it.
They had a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 11 years and eliminate the New York Rangers, avoiding a grand finale in a building where the Rangers have never lost a Game 7. They earned this chance by playing three near-perfect periods in Game 5, and then two more effective periods in Game 6.
But the third period was putrid. It was embarrassing. Fans left early and chants of “Let’s Go Rangers!