TAMPA — The Rangers closed out calendar year 2021 with, of all things, a shootout.
And Mika Zibanejad made it a Happy New Year celebration for them when he scored the only goal of the shootout to beat Brian Elliott with the final shot to give the Rangers a 4-3 win the Tampa Bay Lightning and a split of their two-game trip to the Sunshine State.
The teams play each again Sunday afternoon in Madison Square Garden in their first contest of 2022. The win also was the Rangers’ 20th of the season (20-8-4).
With the game tied 2-2 entering the third period, Barclay Goodrow appeared to win it with his second goal when he deflected in a shot by K’Andre Miller at 13:35 to put the Rangers ahead.