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NEW YORK -- The Tampa Bay Lightning got a key piece back in their lineup and he proved to be the No. 1 star in a win over the New York Rangers. No, top forward Steven Stamkos isnt ready to play yet, but Ben Bishop was on top of his game after a brief absence. Bishop made 33 saves in his return from injury and the Lightning cooled off the Rangers 2-1 on Tuesday night. "We played solidly, and I felt no rust," Bishop said. "This was big for us coming into this building and playing well. Its a fun place to play. You have to be excited playing at Madison Square Garden." Bishop was back in the net for the first time since he sprained his right wrist in the first period at Edmonton on Jan. 5. He missed three games before dressing as the backup to Anders Lindback on Monday at Columbus. He didnt play in the Lightnings 3-2 loss. "He was probably our best player," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "When youre going on the road and trying to win a hockey game, it all starts with your goaltending. He gave us a chance to win." Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov supplied all the offence, scoring goals 9 seconds apart early in the second period for Tampa Bay, 5-1-1 in the second half of back-to-back games. Hedman got the Lightning even with a power-play goal, and Kucherov gave them the lead for good on a breakaway. Tampa Bay went 5-3 in a stretch in which it played seven of eight on the road. "Its been tough, and I thought weve done a pretty good job," Bishop said. Brad Richards scored for the Rangers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves, but took the loss for New York, which was 8-2-1 in its previous 11. "I thought we played a really strong game," Lundqvist said. "We created a lot of chances. It was a good hockey game, but we just came up a little short." The Rangers got their first power play 6:37 into the third period, but Bishop was solid -- stopping Mats Zuccarello in close. Bishop is 5-0 with a goals-against average under 1 against the Rangers. "I like playing against the best," Bishop said. "Henrik is obviously one of the best goalies ever. Its fun to play against those guys. I dont think the record means much, but for now its pretty nice." New York had another advantage in the final 5 minutes but didnt score. The Rangers had netted a power-play goal in five straight contests. The game quickly turned early in the second when Rangers captain Ryan Callahan was sent off for high-sticking Bishop in the head -- the first penalty for either team -- at 29 seconds. Hedman then fired a slap shot from just inside the blue line that beat Lundqvist at 1:10. Hedman showed no ill-effects after injuring his shoulder in the first period when he was went awkwardly into the boards on a hit by Brian Boyle. "A lot of players wouldve run Hedman into the ground, and Boyle pulled up and held up," Cooper said. "Ive got to give Boyle a lot of credit for being a hockey player in the game and not trying to hurt somebody." Before Hedmans 10th goal was announced to the crowd, the Lightning had grabbed the lead. After the ensuing faceoff, Lightning defenceman Radko Gudas sent a long pass to Kucherov, who came in alone on Lundqvist and scored his seventh of the season at 1:19. "We were very excited to play here," Hedman said. "This was a big game for our young guys." New York threatened to get even several times in the second, and had a few odd-man rushes, but Bishop was sharp and kept them at bay. He made a lunging glove grab of a drive by Callahan with 9:05 left in the period. "Its tough," Callahan said. "You dont always get the calls to go your way. They get one there, and we have a little bit of a lapse and they score another one. We had a lot of chances to get the equalizer ... we just didnt find it." The Rangers got on the board first. Carl Hagelin sent a shot in on Bishop from the left circle, and the rebound went behind the net. Callahan gathered the puck and sent a pass to Richards, who was standing where Hagelin had been, and snapped a shot that beat Bishop at 11:55 for his 12th goal -- tying him for the team lead. NOTES: Rangers coach Alain Vigneault hinted strongly that backup G Cam Talbot will start one of the games this weekend when New York plays Ottawa and Washington on consecutive days. ... Lightning C Nate Thompson sat out because of the flu. RW B.J. Crombeen was a healthy scratch. ... Lightning D Matt Carle had a career-high, seven-game point streak snapped. ... Tampa Bay is 16-10-4 without Stamkos (broken leg). John Wall Jersey . The 17-year-old had four goals and four assists in 38 games for Liberec in the Czech pro league this past season. Zacha had three goals and two assists in seven games at the world mens under-18 championship in April when the Czech Republic took the silver medal. Chris McCullough Jersey . -- Hee Young Park topped the leaderboard at 8 under Friday in the suspended second round of the Kingsmill Championship. http://www.cheapwizardsjerseyssale.com/kids-markieff-morris-wizards-jersey/ .com) - The Atlanta Hawks have stepped up to every challenge during their 14-game winning streak and will face another daunting task Friday with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder in town. Bradley Beal Jersey . -- Omar Infante walked past the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium, where he dressed so many times as a member of the Detroit Tigers, and slipped on a crisp, new Kansas City Royals jersey. Wes Unseld Jersey . Jannero Pargo scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help the Charlotte Bobcats erase a 21-point deficit and rally for an 83-76 preseason victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.As weve sat down in record numbers in front of our TVs or at our favourite soccer pubs and cafes to take in a thoroughly absorbing World Cup Finals it once again reminds us that soccer is in the midst of a unprecedented growth spurt right across the country. Over the last four weeks as Ive circumnavigated the Montreal soccer streets I have taken in matches from a variety of establishments. From the official England Supporters pub through to more unorthodox venues like an Iranian car wash for the crucial group stage game against Argentina. Early on it became abundantly clear that in comparison with South Africa 2010 there has not only been a considerable rise in the number of soccer fanatics in Montreal, but vitally their connection to the beautiful game has become more deeply rooted. Jersey apparel manufacturers and car flag distributors have never had it so good in La Belle Ville. If social media is any barometer then the worlds game is now firmly embedded within Montreals more traditional sporting and cultural landscapes. As a long term advocate for all things Montreal soccer - in all forms and at all levels - Id like to think our local soccer cause is the World Cup effect were currently witnessing. Id be a fool, though, not to admit it is the growing legions of Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League aficionados who are its foundation pillars. With this in mind, Montreals local soccer stakeholders need to feed off this frenzy. From players working as TV analysts, organizing a highly popular player FIFA2014 tournament right on through to the multicultural theme of the June 29 home match against the Houston Dynamo - the Impact have certainly done their part over this past month in successfully connecting and fusing their brand with the Brazil 2014 masses. When in attendance at the Burgundy Lion, the official England Supporters Club in Montreal, for the Uruguay game quite remarkably the language was less Anglo Saxon and far more French “Canadien”. It was wonderful to observe so many Francophones resplendent In England jerseys speaking their native tongue in amongst a backdrop of framed photos and artefacts eulogising all things 1966, the BPL, Johnny Rotten and Cool Britannia. It was more entertaining than the action on the large screens. The highly diverse and growing Montreal soccer base is certainly not lost on Mayor Denis Coderre. On the eve of MLSs Brazil 2014 sabbatical word came from City Hall that as part of Montreals 375th Anniversary celebrations a highly-positive meeting had taken place with Don Garber regarding Montreal hosting 2017s MLS All Star game. More recently Coderre guested on TSN 690 and discussed his deep and lengthy connection to soccer. As a politician this goes all the way back to 1999, when he was a member of the cabinet for the Federal Government as Minister for Amateur Sport. In his time Coderre has not only visited Clairefontaine, the home of French soccer, he has also held meetings with the two most influential figures in world football: Micchel Platini and Sepp Blatter.dddddddddddd Montreals civic connection to soccer is expected to kick off as early as next year. Coderre disclosing: “We are working to have a Mayors Cup between two cities from MLS. We are working towards 2015 or 2016, where well play one game there and they will come here.” Not content with developing relationships with an enriched MLS family, Coderre is well aware of the highly valuable market for international friendlies. “The other thing is by 2017, what we are looking for is to get some European teams to come. Well work through Spain or Paris St-Germain. We will work towards getting some of the teams here. Im working with Joey Saputo” “With Joey we are working for what we will do through soccer for 2017. We already have the Under 20s this year and the Womens World Cup Finals next year. What we are building, is that mood for soccer.” “This is clearly a soccer city. Because of our diversity we can score big.” Coderre gave short shrift to the idea that two European powerhouses would suit up and face each other. Referring to the match at Olympic Stadium in the direct run up to South Africa 2010 between seven-time European Champions AC Milan and the Impact, Coderre stated: “I do recall when AC Milan came the stadium was packed.” “Id like to see my hometown team to play against these teams. The City of Montreal is willing to play its part” Fresh from co-signing a significant contract extension with Bernie Ecclestone, which will see Montreal stage the Canadian Grand Prix through 2024, Coderre knows full well of the substantial benefits and international exposure Montreal would reap by having PSG, Real Madrid or even Chelsea in town. The Mayor is a massive supporter for Canada staging a World Cup Finals, and even went so far as to question Qatars World Cup. “The bottom line is what will happen to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022? But clearly I am aiming at 2026. So we have two options.” “Remember in 2002 when the World Cup between South Korea and Japan was split? We could do the same thing with the States. We could have five cities from eastern Canada and five cities from the US. With the people that I spoke with it is truly feasible” As Montrealers take in Sunday afternoons World Cup Final the two football and soccer solitudes will come together in a significant outdoor viewing party at Parc Jean Drapeau - a venue more synonymous with rock shows and music festivals. Players from the Impact, representatives of the local committee for the FIFA U20s Womens World Cup and the Quebec Soccer Federation will mingle with thousands of Brazil 2014 hipsters. Theres nothing cooler though than supporting local soccer. Noel Butler can be reached at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Catch Argentina vs. Germany in Sundays World Cup Final live on the TSN and TEAM Radio Network. Pre-Game show starts at 2pm et/11am pt with Kick Off at 3pm et/Noon pt. 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