Carl Hagelin scored twice and added one assist as the New York Rangers downed Tampa Bay, 5-1, at Madison Square Garden.
Ryan Callahan, Arron Asham and Rick Nash also lit the lamp for the Rangers, winners of two in a row and five of their last seven.
"It's a huge two points, not just because we are playing a top team in the standings, but because we need to put wins together," New York defenseman Ryan McDonagh said.
Henrik Lundqvist needed to stop just 19 shots for the victory.
Vinny Lecavalier provided the lone offense for the Lightning, who have lost four in a row since winning five straight.
Mathieu Garon was pulled after giving up three goals on 19 shots in almost 30 minutes of action. Anders Lindback allowed two more scores on 13 shots the rest of the way.
Asham made it a three-goal spread once more for the hosts at 12:22 of the third period when he finished a 2-on-1 break with Hagelin by faking to his teammate and scoring to the far post from the left wing.
Nash added a score with under nine seconds left in regulation, a weak, unscreened shot from the left wing which Lindback misplayed badly.
Hagelin opened the scoring just 31 seconds in as he was credited with deflecting a Nash shot home, and Lundqvist stood tall through most of the first period, shutting down Steven Stamkos, Nate Thompson and Cory Conacher on consecutive odd-man rushes for Tampa.
After failing on a power-play chance, Callahan weaved his way through the Bolts' zone and beat Garon in front for a 2-0 game with 4:47 left. Lightning defenseman Matt Carle tried an ill-advised, cross-ice pass which was plucked easily by the New York captain.
It was 3-0 for the hosts on Hagelin's tally at 9:58 of the second, one which chased Garon for Lindback. That change spurred the visitors just under five minutes later when Lecavalier beat Lundqvist with a low wrister.
"I think I got the jitters out of the way in the first period," said rookie Alex Killorn, who assisted on Lecavalier's goal in his NHL debut. "I felt a lot better in the second."
Game Notes
