New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Odds, Scores and Prediction

Friends and former teammates become the enemy as the Lightning and Rangers fight for a crack at Lord Stanley’s mug.

In the Eastern Conference finals, friendships are set aside and that’s going to be a major factor in this series between the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Three former Rangers who were instrumental to the team’s recent success now wear a Lightning bolt on their chests, while Martin St. Louis and Dan Boyle won a Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay. The Lightning won all three meetings between the two teams and outscored the Rangers 15-7, but these teams haven’t faced each other since Dec. 1. A lot has changed since then. New York heads into the series as a -175 favorite.

Sports Interaction NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds

New York Rangers:

The Rangers became the first team in NHL history to come back from 3-1 series deficits in consecutive years when they beat the Capitals in overtime of Game 7 on Wednesday. New York was sloppy early in the series, gave away a game at home on a last second goal, and needed a huge effort from Henrik Lundqvist to climb back in the series. That’s all true, but the Rangers also outplayed a deep, tough Washington team for long stretches. The Blueshirts outshot the Capitals in five of the seven games and they’ve allowed more than two goals just twice in 12 playoff games. The Rangers have the speed to match the Lightning and are better on the blue line and in goal. If Mats Zuccarello can return in this series, he could be a major difference-maker.

Tampa Bay Lightning:

The Lightning outclassed the Montreal Canadiens in nearly every aspect of the game last round, beating the Habs to pucks all over the ice and attacking in waves. With Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson anchoring their top two lines, Tampa Bay has a wealth of offensive weapons that helped the club score more than any other team in the regular season. Former Rangers captain Ryan Callahan is a huge x-factor after undergoing an appendectomy earlier this week, but expect him to play, and play well. Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman are strong from the blue line and the Lightning normally do a good job of limiting their opposition’s scoring chances. However, their penalty killing is spotty and Ben Bishop can be hot-and-cold in goal. Tampa Bay needs to control possession, get the power play clicking, and have Bishop step up to go shot-for-shot with Lundqvist to take the next step.

Odds and Prediction:

The connections between these two teams and the first-class speed of each squad could make this the most exciting series in the entire playoffs. New York is a deeper team but Tampa Bay may have better top-end talent, so it’s probably a lot closer to a coin flip than the series odds suggest. Still, it’s hard to bet against a Rangers team that has played in 14 consecutive one-goal games and has played more playoff games than just about anyone in the last five years. When it gets this deep in the postseason, experience and goaltending often trump top-end skill. The underdog is tempting but stick with the favorite.

Pick: New York Rangers win in six games.