Rangers 4, Lightning 1: Rick Nash recorded a goal, an assist and 12 shots on goal in his return from injury as New York defeated visiting Tampa Bay to end a four-game winless streak.

Carl Hagelin, Derek Stepan and defenseman Marc Staal added goals for the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist made 14 of his 24 saves in the third period for New York, which swept the three-game season series with the Lightning.

Martin St. Louis scored for the Lightning and Steven Stamkos added an assist, but his six-game goal-scoring streak was snapped. Mathieu Garon kept Tampa Bay in it with 38 saves in his third start in four games.

Hagelin whipped a shot past Garon from the left faceoff circle 7:23 into the game and Stepan moved toward the left post to knock home captain Ryan Callahan’s pass 1:17 later for a 2-0 lead. Despite being outshot 20-3, the Lightning halved the deficit when St. Louis redirected defenseman Eric Brewer’s pass behind Lundqvist with 3:51 left in the session.

Staal scored on the power play with 3:52 remaining in the second period, reaching over a fallen Garon to tap in a loose puck after a scramble for a 3-1 lead. Nash, who missed four games with an undisclosed injury, weaved his way through the defense with 1:33 left to cap the scoring.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Four of Hagelin’s seven goals this season have come against the Lightning. … Tampa Bay D Sami Salo, who is a team-leading plus-11, sat out his first game of the season with a lower-body injury. …Rangers Ds Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto returned to the lineup. McDonagh, who had a pair of assists, missed one game and Del Zotto was out the last two. … The Rangers matched their season high with 42 shots.

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