The Tampa Bay Lightning (21-11-1), coming off of a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, play the second half of a back-to-back against the New York Rangers (19-12-5) tonight at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay is third in the NHL standings for the Atlantic Division, while the Rangers are fifth in the Metropolitan Division.
These are two of the hottest NHL teams in the league. Tampa Bay is 7-3 in its last ten games, while the Rangers are 8-2 during that same stretch as they’ve taken advantage of a relatively easy NHL schedule with wins over the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers. They’ve also beaten top teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and Vegas Golden Knights.
Brian Elliott is expected to get the start for Tampa Bay in the Rangers vs Lightning prediction. He’s 7-2 with a 3.31 goals-against average (GAA) and a .894 save percentage this season. Igor Shesterkin will start for the Rangers. One of the NHL picks to win the Vezina Trophy, Shesterkin is 17-6-4 with a 2.47 GAA and .915 save percentage. New York is just 2-6-1 in games in which Shesterkin doesn’t start.
The puck drop for the Rangers vs Lightning prediction is at 7 p.m. ET.
New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
Last Game Records
Tampa Bay is 7-3 in its last ten games and beat the Canadiens 4-1 on Wednesday night at home. Prior to that victory, Tampa Bay lost consecutive games to Atlantic Division rivals the Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. Tampa Bay had won five games in a row prior to that stretch.
New York, meanwhile, is 8-2 in its last 10 NHL games but is coming off of a 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on home ice on Tuesday. Shesterkin stopped 26 of 29 shots in the game. New York beat the Islanders in their last game before the holiday break.
The Rangers have won four consecutive games against the Lightning dating back to January 1, 2022. New York won the last meeting between the Rangers vs Lightning prediction 3-1 in October of this season.
New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Analysis
BetOnline has the Lightning as -128 favorites on the moneyline, while the Rangers are paying out +116. The over/under is set at 6, with the over and under paying out -115 and +104, respectively.
Rangers Offense Clicking
Early in the season, New York struggled to score goals, and Shesterkin was the key reason for their success. The 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner hasn’t been quite himself as of late, but it hasn’t mattered so much as the Ranger’s offense has started to produce.
Before the shutout loss to Washington, New York had scored 40 goals over its last nine games. That’s more than four goals per game. On the season, the Rangers are 16th in goals per game at 3.16.
Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers in NHL player stats with 41 points in 36 games. Mika Zibanejad is second with 38 points, while defenseman Adam Fox is third with 35 points.
Tampa Bay Looking for First Win against Rangers in 5 Tries
There are not many teams the Lightning have struggled against in recent history, but they haven’t been able to handle the Rangers. Tampa has lost its last four games against New York and should be tough again tonight in the second half of a back-to-back.
The Lightning are third in goals per game at 3.61. They’ve allowed 2.94 goals against per game, good enough for 13th in the league. Tampa Bay also has the special teams advantage over the Rangers. They have the sixth-best power play (26.9 percent) and penalty kill (81.7 percent) in the league.
Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning in NHL player stats with 50 points. He’s tied with Tage Thompson for fourth in league scoring and one point behind Dallas’ Jason Robertson for third place.
Updates
New York has a full bill of health for the Rangers vs Lightning prediction, while Rudolfs Balcers is on the NHL injury report for Tampa Bay. The 25-year-old forward has five points in 17 games this season.
New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Preview
Despite their overall success this season, Tampa Bay and New York have been below average against the spread (ATS). The Lightning are 15-18 ATS, while New York is 16-20.
New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Prediction
New York is coming off of a disappointing 4-0 loss and is starting Shesterkin again in hopes of continuing its recent dominance over the Lightning. Although they’re the betting underdogs, they should have an advantage over Tampa Bay, which is playing for the second time in two nights and starting Elliott.
NHL Pick: Rangers +116
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