NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Lightning vs Rangers (Wednesday, February 7)
(Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images). Pictured: Victor Hedman #77, Brayden Point #21 and Nikita Kucherov #86.
Lightning vs. Rangers Odds
| Lightning Odds | +114 |
| Rangers Odds | -137 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +104o / -128u |
After a rousing return to action following the All-Star Break, the New York Rangers will look to keep the good vibes going when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of a three-game NHL slate Wednesday.
Thanks to a standout performance in net from Jonathan Quick, the Rangers pulled out a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, with Alexis Lafrenière playing hero in overtime. Now, they face another tough opponent, as the Lightning are also scoring up a storm and have gone 8-0-1 in their last nine games.
The Rangers were able to muzzle the offensive forces of the Avalanche, and should be poised to do the same Wednesday, while the Lightning will be welcoming a pair of key defensemen back into their lineup.
Let's dive into our Lightning vs. Rangers preview and prediction and explain why viewers should expect a tight, low-scoring affair.
With Andrei Vasilevskiy back to his usual heavy workload following early-season back surgery, the Lightning were one of the hottest teams in the NHL heading into the break. They won eight out of nine, with Vasilevskiy in net for seven of those wins. And while his save percentage is still hovering around .900, he's up to 16-10-0 for the year, with 2.4 goals saved above expected.
And Tampa Bay has been offering plenty of goal support. Its last three wins before the break were all by 6-3 scores, and Nikita Kucherov's league-leading 1.73 points per game puts him on pace for 141 points this year.
With that kind of firepower, it's no surprise that Tampa Bay is back to being the NHL's top power-play team, at close to 30% efficiency, and their penalty killing is also strong. They're a little shaky at 5-on-5, controlling 49.41% of expected goals.
That should improve with the return of two important defensemen. Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Černák both practiced Tuesday and look set to get back into the lineup against the Rangers after each has missed roughly a month of action. Injured forwards Tanner Jeannot and Austin Watson also took part in practice as extras.
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All eyes will be on the crease at Wednesday's morning skate. Coach Peter Laviolette was non-committal following Tuesday's practice about whether he'd stick with his hot hand in Quick, who has won his last two games and given up just three goals.
Or will Laviolette go back to Igor Shesterkin? The regular starter hasn't played up to his usual standard at times this season, but isn't going to hand off his playing time without a fight. Also, in his career, Shesterkin is 6-0-1 against the Lightning with a 1.54 goals-against average.
But Quick has been the goalie that has been making the key saves lately. On Monday, he limited the dangerous Colorado Avalanche to just one goal, giving the Rangers the opportunity to stage their late comeback win.
New York is basically healthy, and will welcome Jacob Trouba back from his two-game suspension Wednesday. The Rangers hold a similar rank with their puck possession game, controlling 50.04% of expected goals at 5-on-5. They're also strong on special teams.
Lightning vs. Rangers
Betting Pick & Prediction
As offensively explosive as the Lightning were before the break, the big storyline for this game is the goaltending duel. No matter which option the Rangers opt for, they should be well covered, and Tampa Bay should be stingier than it has been in a while with Černák and Sergachev back in its lineup.
Much like we saw Monday when the Avalanche were in town, another tight-checking affair should be on tap at MSG on Wednesday. If you can find good value, take a long, hard look at the under.
Pick: Under 6.5 (-107 at BetRivers | Play down to -120)
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