A rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals headlines the NHL's North American return on Tuesday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning head to “The World's Most Famous Arena” to battle the New York Rangers. Read on for our Lightning-Rangers picks and predictions.
With three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Lightning are still amongst the absolute elite in the NHL. After winning back-to-back cups in 2019-2020 and 2020-21, Tampa fell just short last season, losing in the finals in six games to the Colorado Avalanc he.
Bolstered by Vezina-winning goaltender Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers capped off a 110-point regular season with a trip to the Eastern Conference Final where they fell to the aforementioned Lightning. After taking a quick 2-0 series lead, the Rangers lost four straight, dropping the series in six.
Will the Lightning start another march to the Cup Final with a victory over the Rangers, or will New York establish itself as a true championship threat?