The Rangers look for their 10th straight win, while the Lightning hope to avoid a third straight loss when the puck drops Thursday night in Tampa Bay.
Projecting The Lineups For The NHL's Revamped All-Star Game
New York comes in on the back of handing the Maple Leafs a 4-3 loss at home Sunday, which saw Mats Zuccarello net the game-winning goal in the final minute. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, dropped two consecutive games to Florida during a home-and-home, getting outscored 6-4 in the meetings.
The Rangers are tied for the NHL lead with 30 points and the Eastern Conference lead with 14 wins, while the Lightning sit in fifth place in the Atlantic Division.
Mike Fisher Takes Out Relationship Issues On Opponents' Face
Game Preview
Matchup: Rangers (14-2-2, 30 points) at Lightning (8-9-3, 19 points)
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa Bay, Fla.
Radio: New York (98.7 ESPN); Tampa Bay (WDAE 720)
Betting Odds: Lightning (-1.5, +270) via Sportsbook.
This game can be live streamed here.
What To Watch For
--This is a rematch of the Eastern Conference Final, where the Lightning handed the Rangers a 4-3 series defeat after blanking them at home, 2-0, in Game 7. It marked the first time the Blueshirts ever lost a Game 7 on home ice.
--Tampa Bay enters this contest very banged up. Ondrej Palat, Cedric Paquette, Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Drouin are all out for the contest, while former New York captain Ryan Callahan (lower-body) is questionable.
--Henrik Lundqvist leads the NHL with 10 wins (tied) and a 1.69 goals-against average. He'll likely be countered by Ben Bishop, who is 6-7-2 with a 2.26 GAA and a .918 save percentage. Mats Zuccarello leads the Rangers with nine goals and 18 points, while Steven Stamkos paces the Lightning with nine tallies and 14 points.
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
