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Remember the Derick Brassard playoff hat trick versus Tampa Bay


With the Rangers in a free fall, it might be a good time to escape the present and revisit some brighter moments. Let’s go back to May 2015 and remember the Derick Brassard playoff hat trick in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals. We will not discuss anything that happened after.

Henrik Lundqvist was sensational, stopping 36 shots in yet another season-saving performance, while Brassard’s hat trick helped the Rangers secure a 7-3 victory and force a decisive Game 7. That postseason, the Rangers had a knack for surviving elimination, improving to 4-0 in such games. Lundqvist’s mastery in do-or-die moments was on full display, with a 15-3 record in elimination games dating back to 2012.

Brassard also chipped in two assists, showcasing his impact all over the ice. Keith Yandle, James Sheppard, J.T. Miller, and Rick Nash also found the back of the net, while Tampa’s Ben Bishop was pulled after giving up five goals. New York exploded for five goals in the third period, turning a tight game into a rout.

Brassard opened the scoring early, struck again in the third, and capped off his hat trick with an empty-netter. Yandle’s goal gave the Rangers a 2-0 cushion in the first, while Lundqvist came up clutch with key saves, including a point-blank denial of Steven Stamkos.

Though Tampa found brief hope through former Rangers Ryan Callahan and Anton Stralman, the night belonged to Brassard and the Blueshirts. It’s certainly a game worth remembering during tougher times.



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