Remember When: Rangers Kid Line shift vs Tampa Bay

Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Final was a continuation of the Rangers’ strong playoff run, marked by dominant performances that carried them through much of the postseason. New York secured a commanding 6-2 victory, with a defining moment from the emerging trio of Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, and Filip Chytil. The now famous Rangers Kid Line shift gave us this defining moment for the ages in the Game 1 win.

This Rangers Kid Line shift came in the second period when the young line completely took control in Tampa Bay’s defensive zone. For an uninterrupted stretch of 4:35, the Rangers applied relentless pressure, preventing the Lightning from escaping their own end.

Tampa Bay attempted to bring out their top line but could only get Steven Stamkos on the ice, leaving the rest of the second line trapped and exhausted, defending for nearly 90 seconds.

K’Andre Miller, another promising player from New York’s youth movement, found Chytil with a cross-ice pass in the right circle. Chytil made no mistake, firing the puck past Vasilevskiy.

This sequence, which many Rangers fans dubbed “The Shift,” was seen as a pivotal moment, signaling the coming of age of the team’s young core as they began to establish themselves as key contributors.