The President Trophy-winning Rangers look to get back to the Stanley Cup Final after forcing a Game 7 with a 7-3 win at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The Lightning meanwhile are seeking their first Stanley Cup appearance since winning the trophy in 2004.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The total has been at five for every game of the series and the teams have gone over that four times. The games are tighter in the postseason and even tighter when it comes to a winner-take-all Game 7. Don’t expect the free-wheeling style we’ve seen in other games.
The officials are always a factor in games of this magnitude as well. Players usually get away with a little more of the clutching and grabbing that gets whistled during regular season games. That style of play slows the pace and prevents the quality scoring chances.
Look for the under to prevail in this one.
GOALIE REPORT
Would you want someone other than Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist in net? I think not. The Swedish netminder thrives in pressure-packed Game 7s, winning his last six while posting a .973 save percentage and microscopic 0.81 goals-against average.
Lundqvist has struggled at times in this series but he came up large in Game 6 with 15 first period saves, and 36 overall, to keep the Rangers in it leading to the eventual win.
Tampa needs a better performance from Ben Bishop to advance to the final. Bishop was less than spectacular in Game 6, allowing the Rangers to steal the momentum and effectively take the crowd out of the game by giving up a goal on the game’s first shot.
He was eventually pulled after allowing five goals for the third time in four starts.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“Everything that’s happened before this point, it doesn’t really matter. We’re looking at it as one game against a team that’s played really good hockey through the series; both teams have. And I think both teams feel like at times they haven’t played as well. So it’s been a back-and-forth series, but now it just comes down to one game and it’s in our building.” – Rangers center Derek Stepan
SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Rangers have been successful when shutting down the Lightning ‘Triplets’ line. If they can handle Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Nikita Kucherov they have a good chance of coming out victorious. They kids will pressure Henrik Lundqvist, just like they did in Game 6, and if the Rangers survive, this turns into a grind-it-out affair and New York has the advantage.
However, if the Lightning are able to dent Lundqvist and grab an early lead they’ll keep coming and this could become a track meet with the Tampa having the advantage.
Just like in Game 6, the first period will tell us a lot about where this game is headed. But with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals at stake, expect everyone to be at the top of their game.
PROP TALK
Don’t expect Derick Brassard to have another hat-trick and five-point night like he did in Game 6, rather look for 42-goal scorer Rick Nash to come up big for the Rangers. Nash was heavily criticized after tallying just twice in the first 15 postseason games, but he’s come alive with three goals and four assists over the last three contests.
Nash gets plenty of special teams ice time, particularly on the power-play, and two of his three goals over the three-game stretch have come with the man advantage.
The Lightning have their own sniper in Steven Stamkos, who tallied a goal in four straight games in the series. The Rangers have to pay attention to the ‘Triplets’ line, matching up their top defensive pairing of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh with the kids allowing Stamkos to roam free.
Stamkos is also a special teams master and if given a power-play opportunity, look for the Lightning to set up their goal-scoring leader.
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
This series has been so crazy it’s difficult to pick a winner. Every game has been different. Teams that seemingly have the momentum get beaten, even on home ice. There have been tight defensive games and blowouts.
What we can say is the Rangers are unbeaten in seven consecutive Game 7s at Madison Square Garden dating back to 1992 and they have the ‘King’ in net. They also have the experience after playing in the last Stanley Cup Final. Tampa Bay is young, they haven’t experienced the emotion of a Game 7 to get to the Cup Final and they have a goaltender who’s been erratic in this series. But Ben Bishop did pitch a shutout in Game 5 at the Garden and was spectacular in a Game 1 win there.
The Rangers are favored for those reasons, but as anyone who watches hockey knows, anything can happen in a Game 7
New York 3, Tampa Bay 1
The NHL lines for this Saturday game will first be available at BookMaker Sportsbook. Minute-by-minute puck-lines, totals, moneylines and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! Game 7 of this series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers will commence on Friday, May 29, 2015 at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. The contest will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
