A fan of the Tampa Bay Lighting was sucker punched and knocked unconscious by a fan of the New York Rangers inside Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, after the Lighting beat the Rangers 3-1 to take a 3-2 lead in the series.
The altercation started around 10:50 p.m., after the game has reached its conclusion. Two men, each supporting the opposite team, got into a heated verbal altercation. According to the NYPD, the two men were arguing while walking toward an exit, and the conversation grew so intense that the Rangers fan turned around and took a swing at the Lightning fan, connecting with a strike to the head that sent the Lightning fan to the ground, out cold.
NYPD officers say that the assailant attempted to flee the scene after, and struck another person who was trying to stop him.
NYPD eventually arrested the assailant, identified as 29 year old James Anastasio. Police say he was booked on multiple charges of assault, disorderly conduct and harassment. The Lightning fan who was sucker punched by Anastasio did not suffer any substantial injuries from the incident.
The Rangers will look to bounce back from this loss in a Game 6 matchup in Tampa on Saturday.
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