Madison Square Garden will be rocking on Friday night as it hosts Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. The New York Rangers were on the ropes, down 3-2 in the series at Amalie Arena Tuesday night. But they found a way to fight in a 7-3 blowout of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6.
Can New York continue its Game 7 magic at home to make back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals? Read on as we breakdown this do-or-die game. The Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhaws are embroiled in a tight race in the West. Check out our complete preview for the Ducks vs. Blackhawks Game 6.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers Game 7 Preview
Series Scores and Schedule
Game 1 – Tampa Bay Lightning 1 at New York Rangers 2
Game 2 – Tampa Bay Lightning 4 at New York Rangers 2
Game 3 – New York Rangers 5 at Tampa Bay Lightning 6 (OT)
Game 4 – May 22, 8:00 PM ET – New York Rangers 5 at Tampa Bay Lightning 1
Game 5 – May 24, 8:00 PM ET – Tampa Bay Lightning 2 at New York Rangers 0
Game 6 – May 26, 8:00 PM ET – New York Rangers 7 at Tampa Bay Lightning 3
Game 7 – May 29, 8:00 PM ET – Tampa Bay Lightning (+135) at New York Rangers (-155); total: 5.0 – view all NHL lines
Betting on the Tampa Bay Lightning
Ryan Callahan scored his first goal of this postseason for the Lightning. Nikita Kucherov added two more goals, but both were too little too late in the third period with the Rangers already comfortably ahead in their 7-3 Game 6 loss.
[sc:NHL240 ]Part of the Bolts’ struggle was the inability of their stars to deliver crucial goals. Steven Stamkos was shut out after scoring in four straight games. Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat were also left scoreless. The two are yet to tally a goal in the past three games. But the talented Johnson did have two assists, both on Kucherov’s goals.
Johnson now leads the postseason with 20 points with Kucherov a step behind with 19. If Tampa Bay is to win Game 7 on the road, then it’ll need its top two players at the best of their abilities. The Triplets line of Johnson, Kucherov and Palat are responsible for 12 of the Bolts’ 28 goals in the conference finals.
Tampa Bay is a very young team. It’s not surprising that the team’s inexperience is showing. After dominating the first two periods outshooting the Rangers 29-18, the Bolts allowed five goals on 16 shots in the decisive final period. They managed only 10 shots.
Goalie Ben Bishop allowed five goals of the seven goals in Game 6 to bring his conference final numbers to a less-than-stellar 3.17 GAA and .889 save percentage. Bishop has now allowed five goals or more in three of the six games in this series. But it wasn’t entirely his fault. The rest of the Bolts broke down and gave the Rangers plenty of open ice to take high-quality shots.
Nevertheless, whenever Tampa Bay had a paltry performance in this series, it bounced back in a big way. The Bolts blew out New York 6-2 at Madison Square Garden in Game 2 after losing the previous game 2-1. They also shut out the Rangers 2-0 on the road in Game 5 after being blown out 5-1 in Game 4. Expect the Bolts to fight tooth-and-nail in this do-or-die game.
The Bolts are 6-1 following a loss this postseason.
Betting on the New York Rangers
Yet again, the New York Rangers found a way to win. The Rangers improved to 15-3 with their season on the line since 2012. They can thank Henrik Lundqvist for another stellar performance. The King was a brick wall in the first two periods in Game 6 at Tampa. He stopped 28 of the Lightning’s 29 shots in the first two periods. He then allowed two goals in the third period, a period in which the Rangers outscored Tampa Bay 5-2.
Lundqvist now has a .954 save percentage in his last 18 facing elimination, including a current 10-game win streak at Madison Square Garden. The King also rules Game 7s. He is currently on an NHL-record six straight Game 7 victories. He’s been virtually unbeatable during that streak, posting a 0.84 GAA and .973 save percentage.
The King will face even less pressure if the Rangers can continue riding their surging offense. They have scored 18 goals in their past four games, seven of which came in Game 6. Derick Brassard scored a hat trick and added two assists for five points in the big Game 6 victory. J.T. Miller scored his first career playoff goal, while Rick Nash finished with a goal and three assists.
If New York is to explode for another excellent offensive performance, then they need this first line of Brassard, Nash and Miller, which combined for five goals in Game 6, to be firing on all cylinders. What makes the Rangers even more dangerous is their deep roster. Derek Stepan has five goals and seven assists this postseason from the second line. Chris Kreider trails Brassard’s team-high nine goals with seven of his own.
Blue liner Keith Yandle has also been crucial in this series. He’s proving his worth as a trade deadline acquisition with two goals and five points in the past three games.
The Rangers are 7-0 all-time in Game 7s on home ice.
Writer’s Prediction
The Rangers book their place in the Stanley Cup Finals with a 5-3 victory. Create a betting account now and get in on exhilarating playoff hockey.
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