The Tampa Bay Lightning (44-27-6) travel to face off against the New York Rangers (36-33-7) on Monday, April 7th. 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

The Lightning fell to 44-27-6 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. 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. Tampa Bay once held a 2-0 lead in this one, but the Jets scored five unanswered goals to secure the win.

Four different Lightning players scored in the game. Tampa Bay’s defense struggled, giving up two empty-net goals in the third period. They also had 31 penalty minutes in the game.

The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win

The Rangers improved to 36-33-7 with a 5-2 road win over the Islanders. New York covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, with the total of 7 goals surpassing 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 with a short-handed goal.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

Brandon Hagel opened the scoring for Tampa Bay with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point followed with his 8th, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov, with his 10th, tied the game 4-4 in the third period.

The Lightning took 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. They were held scoreless for the first 6:49 of the game before Hagel found the net.

Rangers Offense Breakdown

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

Mika Zibanejad contributed with three assists, bringing his season total to 8. The Rangers fired 40 shots on goal and scored 5 times, with their final goal coming at 3:23 in the third period.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

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

New York Team Defense

Defensively, the Rangers will look to carry over their strong performance from their last game, where they allowed just two goals to the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage. The Rangers’ defense also contributed 10 takeaways, 19 hits, and 18 blocks.

Lightning vs Rangers Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Tampa Bay has an puck line record of 1-2 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• Although New York has a straight up record of 2-3 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs the puck line going 1-4. The team averaged 3 goals per game in these games.
• In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Rangers have a straight up record of 1-9 and an puck line mark of 6-4.
• The Lightning have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 3-2 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.

Lightning vs Rangers Prediction

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Lightning to come out with a win against the Rangers while playing on the road. Considering the moneyline odds at -139, I’m placing my bet 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.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering 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.