Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 10/11/2022

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Where to watch: ESPN

DraftKings: Rangers -115, Lightning -105

FanDuel: Rangers -118, Lightning -102

BetMGM: Rangers -115, Lightning -105

Caesars: Rangers -115, Lightning -105

You would think as per normal tradition around sports that the defending Stanley Cup champions would open the regular season with the first game of the new calendar year. Of course, why would the NHL ever hold itself to such norms and keep with tradition? Nevertheless, the NHL season fully gets underway Tuesday with a doubleheader starting with a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Final in Madison Square Garden between the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

This is the part where we advise Rangers fans to look away if you have PTSD for how last year ended. The Rangers had a 2-0 lead in the conference final and looked to be the team that would unseat the Lightning after back-to-back trips to the Cup Final. That looked to be the case in the second period of Game 2 when the Rangers took a 2-0 lead and were 30 minutes from a 3-0 lead. Then, the Lightning remembered they were the Lightning and stormed back to win the next four games and return to the final for the third straight year.

Only this time for the Lightning, it wasn’t meant to be. Tampa Bay went on to lose to the Colorado Avalanche in six games to prevent the first 3-peat of the modern era, but the Lightning are returning most of their core that’s been around the block a time or two. There are still the usuals of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kuckerov and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Star center Brayden Point did not play in the final due to a quad tear, but he is also back for Tampa, fully healthy and 100%.

“I think it’s just getting comfortable with the puck again, trusting my legs again,” said Point, entering his seventh NHL season. “It’s tough when you’ve got an injury to kind of change your style of play.

The biggest subtraction for the Lightning came at a salary cap cost. Top-4 defenseman Ryan McDonagh was traded to the Nashville Predators this offseason for salary cap relief. This appears to be the year that the likes of Cal Foote and Erik Cernak will see even more increased roles on the blue line, but it could call for another call-up from Syracuse with defenseman Ian Cole serving a suspension in the immediate future for possible domestic violence charges.

Other than that, the lineup remains intact with the addition of Vladislav Namestnikov, who signed a deal to return to Tampa this offseason.

We know the Lightning have the capability to get back to where they want to go. What about the Rangers? New York exceeded expectations in Year 1 of the Gerard Gallant era; Chris Kreider scored 52 goals, Artemi Panarin almost had 100 points, Igor Shesterkin was the best goalie in the league by a country mile, etc. The Rangers even re-tooled this summer by signing Vincent Trocheck to a long-term contract and giving New York that surefire No. 2 center. Based on projected line combos, Trocheck and Panarin could be on the same line, and seems downright scary.

Jacob Trouba is now the captain in New York and he leads a blue line that might be, from 1-6, one of the top 3 in the NHL. Adam Fox is still a yearly Norris candidate, K’Andre Miller continues to develop each year, and even the youth with Zac Jones and Braden Schneider have the ability to impress. But at least if the Rangers get anything close to last year with Shesterkin – 36-13-4, .935 SV%, 2.07 GAA – they will be in good shape this year.

Home teams didn’t get off to a hot start last year, especially Tampa in its cup defense. There won’t be an emotional letdown, but I think the Rangers can thrive off the home crowd and have a big day from the top guys in this one. But, per usual, it’ll be a great goaltending battle. Rangers win 3-2

Lightning are 26-17 the last three years on the road when the total is 5.5.

Rangers are 14-13 on Tuesday games the last three years.

Lightning:

Steven Stamkos -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov

Alex Killorn -- Nick Paul -- Brandon Hagel

Ross Colton -- Vladislav Namestnikov -- Corey Perry

Pat Maroon -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare -- Cole Koepke

Victor Hedman -- Cal Foote

Mikhail Sergachev -- Erik Cernak

Haydn Fleury -- Philippe Myers

Andrei Vasilevskiy 

Rangers:

Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Kaapo Kakko

Artemi Panarin -- Vincent Trocheck -- Jimmy Vesey

Alexis Lafreniere -- Filip Chytil -- Barclay Goodrow

Sammy Blais -- Ryan Carpenter -- Ryan Reaves

Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox

K'Andre Miller -- Jacob Trouba

Zac Jones -- Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

Points: Steven Stamkos -- 106

Goals: Steven Stamkos -- 42

Assists: Victor Hedman -- 65

Goalie: Andrei Vasilevskiy -- 39-18-5, .916 SV%, 2.49 GAA

Points: Artemi Panarin -- 96

Goals: Chris Kreider -- 52

Assists: Artemi Panarin -- 74

Goalie: Igor Shesterkin -- 36-13-4, 2.07 GAA, .935 SV%