Tweet
NHL
Friday, May 29
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the day: Lightning at Rangers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers (-150, 5)
Series tied 3-3
The New York Rangers have fought off elimination four times in this season's playoffs and can secure a return trip to the Stanley Cup final when they host the visiting Tampa Bay Lighting on Friday night. The Rangers erupted for a postseason-high seven goals in Game 6 to bring the Eastern Conference final back to Madison Square Garden, where they are 7-0 all-time in Game 7 matchups.
"Every time we're in an elimination game, that's the way we play," said New York forward Derick Brassard, who scored a hat trick and amassed five points in Tuesday's 7-3 romp. "We're just going to go out there at home and try to play our best game." Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves in Game 6 and enters the winner-take-all matchup with a 15-3 in his last 18 elimination games. The Lightning blanked the Rangers 2-0 at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 but have allowed at least five goals in three of their last four contests. Tampa Bay forward Alex Killorn was unfazed by New York's perfect home mark in Game 7s, saying: "I guess that means they're due to lose one."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA
LINE HISTORY: The opening moneyline saw the Rangers at -144 but has been bet to -150. The opening total of 5 has yet to shift.
INJURY REPORT: Lightning - C Tyler Johnson (Prob-Flu), LW Ondrej Palat (Prob-Flu), Cedric Paquette (Ques-Arm) Rangers - LW Mats Zuccarello (Ques-Upper Body)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Tampa Bay did manage to win Games 6 and 7 in its first-round matchup against Detroit, but they need to find a way to get the "Triplets" line of Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov going. Although Kucherov scored twice in Game 6 on a pair of assists by Johnson, the unit has produced six points in the last three contests after dominating the first half of the series by coming for eight goals and eight assists in the first three games. A flu bug that had been affecting the Lightning seems to have subsided, but they need a better outing from Ben Bishop, who allowed a goal on the first shot he faced in Game 6 and was eventually pulled after surrendering five goals for the third time in four starts.
ABOUT THE RANGERS: Brassard had scored just one goal in his previous eight games before notching his first career hat trick and becoming the third player in franchise history to collect five points in a playoff contest. Rick Nash, a 42-goal scorer during the regular season who drew a ton of criticism after tallying only twice in the first 15 games of the postseason, has come alive with three goals and four assists over the past three games. Still, the fortunes of the Presidents' Trophy winners will likely hinge on the performance of Lundqvist, who set the tempo in Game 6 with 15 first-period saves and has been victorious in his last six Game 7s while posting a .973 saves percentage and microscopic 0.81 goals-against average.
TRENDS:
*Lightning are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in New York.
*Rangers are 10-2 in their last 12 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
*Under is 11-4-1 in Lightning last 16 road games.
*Over is 12-3-3 in Rangers last 18 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
CONSENSUS: 68.8 percent of users are backing the Rangers with 56 percent on the over.
Friday, May 29
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the day: Lightning at Rangers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers (-150, 5)
Series tied 3-3
The New York Rangers have fought off elimination four times in this season's playoffs and can secure a return trip to the Stanley Cup final when they host the visiting Tampa Bay Lighting on Friday night. The Rangers erupted for a postseason-high seven goals in Game 6 to bring the Eastern Conference final back to Madison Square Garden, where they are 7-0 all-time in Game 7 matchups.
"Every time we're in an elimination game, that's the way we play," said New York forward Derick Brassard, who scored a hat trick and amassed five points in Tuesday's 7-3 romp. "We're just going to go out there at home and try to play our best game." Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves in Game 6 and enters the winner-take-all matchup with a 15-3 in his last 18 elimination games. The Lightning blanked the Rangers 2-0 at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 but have allowed at least five goals in three of their last four contests. Tampa Bay forward Alex Killorn was unfazed by New York's perfect home mark in Game 7s, saying: "I guess that means they're due to lose one."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA
LINE HISTORY: The opening moneyline saw the Rangers at -144 but has been bet to -150. The opening total of 5 has yet to shift.
INJURY REPORT: Lightning - C Tyler Johnson (Prob-Flu), LW Ondrej Palat (Prob-Flu), Cedric Paquette (Ques-Arm) Rangers - LW Mats Zuccarello (Ques-Upper Body)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Tampa Bay did manage to win Games 6 and 7 in its first-round matchup against Detroit, but they need to find a way to get the "Triplets" line of Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov going. Although Kucherov scored twice in Game 6 on a pair of assists by Johnson, the unit has produced six points in the last three contests after dominating the first half of the series by coming for eight goals and eight assists in the first three games. A flu bug that had been affecting the Lightning seems to have subsided, but they need a better outing from Ben Bishop, who allowed a goal on the first shot he faced in Game 6 and was eventually pulled after surrendering five goals for the third time in four starts.
ABOUT THE RANGERS: Brassard had scored just one goal in his previous eight games before notching his first career hat trick and becoming the third player in franchise history to collect five points in a playoff contest. Rick Nash, a 42-goal scorer during the regular season who drew a ton of criticism after tallying only twice in the first 15 games of the postseason, has come alive with three goals and four assists over the past three games. Still, the fortunes of the Presidents' Trophy winners will likely hinge on the performance of Lundqvist, who set the tempo in Game 6 with 15 first-period saves and has been victorious in his last six Game 7s while posting a .973 saves percentage and microscopic 0.81 goals-against average.
TRENDS:
*Lightning are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in New York.
*Rangers are 10-2 in their last 12 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
*Under is 11-4-1 in Lightning last 16 road games.
*Over is 12-3-3 in Rangers last 18 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
CONSENSUS: 68.8 percent of users are backing the Rangers with 56 percent on the over.
Comment