Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers Picks and Predictions December 28th 2024

Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers December 28th 2024

The Rangers and Lightning are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Lightning will host the game at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. The over/under for this Eastern conference contest is set at 6 goals, with the Lightning being favored by -1.5 goals at home against the Rangers.

New York vs. Tampa Bay Key Information

With a 5-2 win over the Islanders, the Rangers moved closer to .500, now sitting at 16-17-1. As -1.5 goal favorites, they covered the puck line, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

Four different players scored for the Rangers, with Artemi Panarin leading the way with two goals. Chris Kreider opened the scoring at 16:16 in the first period.

Artemi Panarin led the way for the Rangers with two goals, including his 9th of the season on an empty net. He previously scored his 8th on a power play in the second period. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, while Vincent Trocheck added his 4th. Adam Edstrom netted his 1st goal of the season in the third period.

Mika Zibanejad contributed with three assists, bringing his total to 8 for the season. The Rangers fired 40 shots on goal and scored once on a power play. They also recorded 14 giveaways in the game.

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Defensively, the Rangers will look to carry over their strong performance from their last game, where they gave up just 2 goals to the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, and the defense added 10 takeaways and 19 hits. The Rangers will look to tighten up in the second period, where they gave up both of their goals, but they shut out the Islanders in the 1st and 3rd periods.

Tampa Bay’s record fell to 19-11-2 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. The Lightning held a 2-0 lead early, but Winnipeg responded with seven of the game’s final nine goals. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.

Four different Lightning players found the net in the loss. They led 2-0 in the first period and were tied at 4-4 in the third before the Jets pulled away. Winnipeg’s last two goals came with an empty net.

Tampa Bay’s offense put 30 shots on goal and scored 4 times in their 7-4 loss to the Jets. Brandon Hagel opened the scoring with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point followed with his 8th on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th.

The Lightning had 8 giveaways and recorded 4 assists. Jake Guentzel picked up his 8th assist of the season, and Nick Paul added his 7th. Victor Hedman and Kucherov each earned their 10th assist on Point’s power-play goal.

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Tampa Bay’s defense struggled late, giving up three goals in the third period, including two empty-netters, leading to a 7-4 loss to the Jets. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with a save percentage of 84.4%. The Lightning also recorded 6 takeaways and 16 hits.

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Lightning to defeat the Rangers while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at -166, I’m placing a wager on the Lightning to win outright.

For my recommended choice in the puck line, I’m leaning towards the Rangers to cover. Even if the Lightning secure a straight-up win, this game is expected to be tightly contested, and the Rangers should cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

Rangers Return Desperate for Turnaround Against Lightning

The New York Rangers head to Tampa Bay on Saturday night to face the Lightning, aiming to snap out of a dismal stretch that has seen them tumble from playoff contention. Following a strong start to the season, the Rangers are now mired in a 4-13-0 slump, with an anemic offense and porous defense dragging them down.

Rangers Struggling to Find Form

Since a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 19 lifted New York to a 12-4-1 record, the team has been outscored 61-35 over their last 17 games, all of which ended in regulation losses. Monday’s 5-0 drubbing at the hands of the New Jersey Devils was a particularly bitter pill, complete with a mocking video from the Devils’ bench highlighting the Rangers’ struggles.

General manager Chris Drury, already active on the trade front after moving captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim and Kaapo Kakko to Seattle, has left the door open for further roster changes.

“I’m not opposed to making more changes,” Drury said. “But big picture, the team has been through a lot the last couple of weeks. We’d like to let the dust settle a little bit.”

With eight of their next nine opponents currently in playoff positions, the Rangers need their key players to step up. Artemi Panarin leads the team with 15 goals and 37 points, but Chris Kreider’s scoring drought (11 goals, one assist) and trade rumors have been concerning. Mika Zibanejad, with just six goals, practiced with the top power-play unit Friday, signaling a potential shakeup.

Lightning Riding Momentum

In contrast, the Tampa Bay Lightning enter the matchup on a high after bouncing back from a rough 4-2 loss to the Florida Panthers with a convincing 4-0 shutout win in the rematch on Monday. Backup goaltender Jonas Johansson shone in that game, stopping all 36 shots for his fourth career shutout.

Tampa Bay’s special teams were the difference-maker, with Mitchell Chaffee scoring on the power play and Brandon Hagel adding a short-handed goal. The Lightning also held Florida to 0-for-4 on power plays.

Coach Jon Cooper praised Johansson’s ability to excel despite limited playing time, noting, “He has a unique gift of being able to hang in there and not play seven or 10 games and give you a good one. Those guys are hard to find.”

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Regular starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has a 15-10-1 record with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage, is expected to start against the Rangers.

Kucherov Leading the Charge

Nikita Kucherov continues to anchor Tampa Bay’s offense, reaching a team-high 50 points with a goal on Monday. He has been red-hot of late, notching 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in his last 11 games.

Key Matchup Factors

• Rangers’ Response: Will New York’s top players like Panarin, Kreider, and Zibanejad rise to the occasion to stop the bleeding?
• Lightning Goaltending: Vasilevskiy’s consistency versus New York’s sputtering offense could tilt the game heavily in Tampa Bay’s favor.
• Momentum: Tampa Bay is rolling, while New York is searching for answers in what feels like a make-or-break stretch of the season.

The Lightning are poised to take advantage of a struggling Rangers squad, but New York will be desperate to show signs of life as their season teeters on the brink.