The Tampa Bay Lightning (47-26-8) travel to face off against the New York Rangers (38-36-7) on Thursday, April 17th. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York and televised on ESPN+. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Lightning are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Jets. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Lightning vs Rangers

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Tampa Bay fell to 47-26-8 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. The Lightning were the underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5. Tampa Bay held a 2-0 lead early, but the Jets responded with seven of the next nine goals.

Four different Lightning players scored in the game. Tampa Bay’s defense struggled in the third period, allowing four goals, including two empty-netters. The Lightning’s record now stands at 47-26-8.

The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win

With a 5-2 win over the Islanders, the Rangers moved to 38-36-7 on the season. The Rangers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

Four different players contributed to the Rangers’ scoring, with Artemi Panarin leading the way with two goals. Chris Kreider opened the scoring at 16:16 in the first period, and the Rangers never trailed in the game.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

Brandon Hagel got the Lightning on the board with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point followed up with his 8th, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal in the second period, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th in the third.

The Lightning fired 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. They scored twice in the first period, added another in the second, and found the net again in the third.

Rangers Offense Breakdown

Artemi Panarin led the way for the Rangers with two goals, including his 9th of the season on an empty net. He also scored earlier in the 2nd period, marking his 8th goal of the year. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, coming on a shorthanded opportunity. Vincent Trocheck added his 4th goal, and Adam Edstrom found the net for the first time this season.

The Rangers took 40 shots on goal and recorded 8 assists. They scored once on the power play and added a shorthanded goal. New York gave the puck away 14 times in their 5-2 win over the Islanders.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Despite taking a 4-3 lead in the 3rd period, Tampa Bay’s defense faltered late, allowing the Jets to score four consecutive goals, including two empty-netters. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage, but the Lightning’s defense struggled, recording just 6 takeaways and 16 hits.

New York Team Defense

Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, helping the Rangers to a 5-2 win over the Islanders. Defensively, New York finished with 10 takeaways and 19 hits. After giving up a late goal in the second period, the Rangers shut out the Islanders in the third.

Lightning vs Rangers Trends

• Across their five previous road games, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-3 while averaging 2 goals per game.
• Across their ten previous home games, New York has an puck line mark of 3-7. Their straight up record in these matchups was 3-7 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Rangers have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-8.
• In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Lightning have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their puck line record was 3-2 in these scenarios.

Lightning vs Rangers Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Rangers to pick up on a win over the Lightning at home. With the moneyline sitting at -135, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Rangers straight-up.

When making a puck line pick, we’re backing the Rangers to win and cover. Watch for the Rangers to win this game by multiple goals over the Lightning.

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.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.