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The Tampa Bay Lightning won their third consecutive contest of the Eastern Conference Final when they defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 in Thursday’s Game 5 held at Madison Square Garden. They took a 3-2 series lead heading into Saturday’s matchup at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.
However, arguably the biggest story coming off Thursday evening’s game involved a video that showed an apparent Rangers fan throwing a sucker punch that knocked a Lightning supporter to the ground at some point as people were leaving the arena.
According to an ESPN story, the 29-year-old Staten Island man accused of throwing the punch has been banned by Madison Square Garden “for life.” That individual was arrested on two counts of assault, disorderly conduct and harassment after he reportedly attacked a second person who presumably attempted to stop him from leaving the scene after the initial punch.
The Lightning fan is reportedly in stable condition at a local hospital, while the second victim refused medical attention.
An official Madison Square Garden statement released Friday referred to the matter as an “abhorrent assault.”
“We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as this is now a criminal matter. The assailant will also be banned from The Garden and all other MSG venues for life,” MSG added. “All guests — no matter what team they support — should feel safe and respected in The Garden. This has and always will be our policy.”
If the Rangers avoid elimination on Saturday, Game 7 would be held at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” in Manhattan on Tuesday night.
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