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Ryan Callahan seems to have Rangers' number

 
Published Nov. 28, 2014

TAMPA — Lightning RW Ryan Callahan called it a coincidence.

But after the former Rangers captain racked up two more goals in Wednesday's 4-3 win over New York, it gave him four in the first two games he has played against the team that drafted him.

"These two games he's definitely had the bounces, but he's earning them by playing well," Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist (25 saves) said. "I think he's obviously pretty excited to play these games and prove the type of player he really is. I have to give it to him."

Callahan, who spent his first six-plus seasons with the Rangers, said it was more emotional playing in New York on Nov. 17 for the first time since getting traded March 5 for Marty St. Louis.

"(Wednesday) I had that stuff out of my mind and I was just more focused on the game and not the things going on around," he said.

Callahan is the type of "fearless" player the Lightning needed, coach Jon Cooper said, paying the price in the dirty areas and standing in front of the net to screen while C Steven Stamkos takes a slap shot. One of Callahan's goals Wednesday was on a deflection. He has 10 goals in 18 games, second to Stamkos on the team.

"We expected a lot from him," Stamkos said. "And he's delivered."

KEY STAT: G Ben Bishop made 16 saves Wednesday to pick up his 13th win. He also improved his career record against the Rangers to 7-0 with a 1.26 goals-against average. Bishop can't explain the dominance, but it's a sure bet he'll be in net Monday in New York. "The law of averages is on my side right now," Bishop said. "I don't really look at it from years past, just one year at a time. We've got a game coming up next week, so hopefully we can make it 8-0."

TURKEY DAY: With the Lightning having Thanksgiving off, players made plans for special feasts. Several live in the same Tampa apartment complex, which meant a majority were scheduled to gather there, including C Tyler Johnson, LW Ondrej Palat, C Vladislav Namestnikov, RW Nikita Kucherov, D Radko Gudas and RW J.T. Brown.

"There are a lot of girlfriends," Namestnikov quipped, "so I think they're going to cook some."

D Mark Barberio would have been there, too, but his parents, Gerry and Joanne, and grandmother Carmelina, 75, are in Holmes Beach, putting an "Italian spin" on Thanksgiving dinner (lasagna, pasta, eggplant parmesan).

"It's going to be a feast," Barberio said, smiling.