Rangers Lose Game and Kovalev

When the Lightning strikes, the New York Rangers are in trouble.

The Rangers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, Wednesday night at New York, the fourth time this season the Rangers have lost to the Lightning, who have only 15 victories.

But the Rangers lost more than a game. They may have also lost Alexei Kovalev for the season because of a knee injury.

Kovalev was injured shortly after his second-period goal gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead. He damaged ligaments in his right knee when he got tangled up with Tampa Bay’s Alexander Selivanov behind the Ranger net.

Kovalev will have the knee examined today.

Patrick Poulin’s goal with 2:44 remaining in the third period gave the Lightning the victory and ended goaltender Mike Richter’s unbeaten streak at 16 games.

Poulin scored shortly after Ranger forward Luc Robitaille was pulled down from behind on a breakaway by Cory Cross. No penalty was called, and Tampa Bay scored on the ensuing rush when Poulin converted Selivanov’s rebound for his eighth goal.

Colorado 1, New Jersey 1--The biggest assist on Rene Corbet’s game-tying, third-period goal against the Devils at East Rutherford, N.J., didn’t show up on the score sheet. It was some sound advice from teammate Uwe Krupp.

Corbet scored on a breakaway after eluding an attempted check by All-Star defenseman Scott Stevens, and the Avalanche extended its unbeaten streak to eight games.

Between periods, Krupp told Corbet to try a shoulder fake against Stevens if he found himself in a one-on-one situation.

“I saw him coming all the way,� said Corbet, whose goal came 22 seconds after he finished serving a penalty. “The stop-and-go worked. He was coming at me for a big hit.�

Stevens said: “I made a bad play. If I had been more patient and just backed up instead of trying to hit him, there’s no goal.�

The tie was the third consecutive for injury-plagued Colorado (5-0-3), which got 32 saves from backup goalie and former Devil Craig Billington.

Martin Brodeur made 34 saves for New Jersey.

Corbet beat Brodeur with a backhander up high on his game-tying goal.

Chicago 4, Edmonton 1--Jeff Hackett spiced up the Blackhawks’ goaltending debate with a 35-save performance and Tony Amonte scored twice before suffering a leg injury with 3 1/2 minutes left at Chicago.

X-rays on Amonte’s left knee revealed no break. The knee will be examined further today.

Dallas 6, Detroit 3--Dave Reid had three goals and an assist, and rookie Roman Turek stopped 26 shots before suffering a bruised right thigh with 5:51 to play at Dallas.

Turek was hurt when Detroit’s Brendan Shanahan crashed into him while scoring to narrow the Dallas lead to 4-3.

After Andy Moog replaced Turek, the Stars secured the victory as Reid scored twice.