New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction: Can The Lightning Bounce Back in Game 2?

New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction: Can The Lightning Bounce Back in Game 2?

The Eastern Conference finals didn't start the way most people expected as we won a BEST BET on the New York Rangers in a game where they completely dominated the Lightning and made the all-world goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy look very bad (career-worst six goals allowed for the second time in the playoffs) as they beat them 6-2 in Game 1.

Let's dive into my prediction, pick, and the odds for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning.

Rangers vs. Lightning Game 2 Start Time and Where to Watch

• Date: June 3, 2022
• Game Time: 8:00 pm ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN, ESPN+

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New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 2 Line Movement

New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 2 Prediction

The Lightning are trying to three-peat in the NHL which is very rare and hasn't happened since the New York Islanders ran this league back in the 1980s. One thing we know is that the Rangers will not score in seventy-one seconds as Vasilevskiy will be a different goalie, the one who was 47-22 and won six games in a row including giving up only three goals in four games to the high powered Florida Panthers offense in the last round.

The Rangers sure used their momentum off the road win in Carolina to take it to Tampa in Game 1. This team is in a rare spot as they are leading a series when the whole playoffs they have been coming back from 3-1, 2- 0, and 3-2 deficits so far in the playoffs. Has something finally clicked for this team? They only had nine goals in five games against Carolina but all of a sudden they have scored seventeen goals in the last three games and are clicking on all cylinders and have the hottest goalie going. Filip Chytil has been the man recently as he scored five of his seven goals in the last three games and they have two guys who have over twenty points already in the playoffs now in Zibanejad and Fox.

This team has now won seven in a row at home, but all things must come to an end as the Rangers of all teams should know as they just ended Carolina's long home winning streak. No team since 2013 has won eight straight playoff home games (LA Kings) and in this game, the Lightning will bring everything they have including the experience of being two-time defending champs as they finally try to more than two goals past Shesterkin (three games in a row of giving up only two goals).

The Tampa Bay Lightning are trying to make history this year and they are only eight wins away from doing it. They are in a position they haven't been in since the Toronto series, when they got killed in game one, there they came back and killed Toronto 5-1 (the final score was 5-3 but the game was over in our eyes before those garbage goals) and we know how that series ended. Let's give the Lightning the benefit of the doubt that the nine-day layoff is why they played so poorly, especially on defense.

We all know that Tampa is a team that doesn't lose two in a row in the playoffs. They have now eighteen in a row going back to 2020 since they lost two games in a row. This is all you really need to know is that this team doesn't lose back-to-back games in the playoffs. "We certainly didn't have our best," Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos said. "It is what it is. We're not a group that's going to use that as an excuse. We have to be better."

They didn't have their best in Game 1 but this is Game 2 off a loss with the series on the line and we expect Tampa to bring everything tonight especially on defense after how poorly they performed in Game 1. They also don't call you the best goalie in the game if you give up six goals so expect the all-world goalie for the Lightning to change his last name to Hoover tonight and be a vacuum-in goal for them.

You can't win every game in the playoffs as the Lightning learned and clearly, they were on a high after the sweep of the Panthers. This team is still 6-1 there last seven and the fact they have lost four in a row and haven't beaten this Rangers team since 2019 is something they have discussed internally. It's time to end that streak and keep another going tonight (19 in a row). We will gladly take the Lightning -130 to even this series tonight on ESPN for your viewing pleasure. Trust both Lightnings tonight to get you a big W in the Big Apple. 

New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 2 Pick

Pick: Lightning ML -130 (Bet $130 to win $100)

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