Lundqvist strong as Rangers top Lightning to tie series

[May 23, 2015]  (Reuters) - Henrik Lundqvist returned to form with 38 saves while Rick Nash scored twice as the New York Rangers hammered the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1 to level their best of seven Eastern Conference final series.

Lundqvist gave the Lightning little to work with, making 18 saves in the second period alone.

He had allowed a total of 12 goals in the last two games.

Nash opened the scoring late in the first and also had one assist for the Rangers, while Martin St. Louis broke an 18-game goalless streak in the third-period against the team that traded him to New York a year ago.

Steven Stamkos had scored midway through the second period for the Lightning to tie the game at 1-1 before Keith Yandle and Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers in a space of less than two minutes to take control from then on.

The win squares the series at 2-2 and allows the Rangers to avoid having to battle back from a 3-1 series deficit, as they did in the second round against Washington.

Game Five is on Sunday in New York.

(Reporting by Cameron French)

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