New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Pick: Can Mika Zibanejad and the Rangers Bounce Back in Game 5?
New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Pick: Can Mika Zibanejad and the Rangers Bounce Back in Game 5?
Tonight we have pivotal Game 5 because whoever wins tonight is only one win away from going to the Stanley Cup Finals. We also know one team is glad to be home while one isn't glad to be on the road because this series has been home dominant so far as the teams have taken advantage of their home ice and this series just looks like it's going the distance.
Let's dive into my prediction, pick, and the odds for Game 5 between the Lightning vs Rangers.
Rangers vs. Lightning Game 5 Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
Date:Â June 9, 2022
When:Â 8:00 PM ET
Where to Watch:Â ESPN, ESPN+
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Rangers vs. Lightning Game 5 Line Movement
New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 5 Prediction
The Rangers have won eight in a row at home and if they can make it nine they will be on the brink of doing what no team has done in a few years and that's knocking out the two-time champ Lightning. Right now it doesn't matter which team is better as both know each other well it comes down to home ice and who can protect it and the Rangers coach knows that.Â
"We've done a good job at home. I think if you look around the league a lot of teams play better in their home building," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "I'm disappointed tonight. I'm sure (the players) are, but it's a best two-out-of-three, we still have the home-ice advantage, so we have to make sure we're ready for the next game. The next one is big." It is big because you lose tonight and the Lightning can end it at home and they will, so this is like a Game 7 for New York and they better play like they have been at home scoring goals and getting awesome goalie play.
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If the Rangers are going to win they don't just have to score they have to stop Nikita Kucherov as he has become a scoring machine with goals in the last three games and his sidekick Stamkos also scored for the third time and when they are clicking it's hard to beat this team because of how good their goalie is at stopping everything recently only giving up three goals at home but he's not at home anymore.
Can he do it on the road is the question because the Rangers are bringing everything including Zibanejad who had five shots in the third period of Game 3 and couldn't get one through like he has at home in the first two games.Â
Tampa knows how big this game is as well. "We've got ourselves squared up in this series. It's great, much better than the position we were in a couple of days ago. But this is where it gets down to the really tough stuff," Stamkos said. We wrote about this in Game 3 and how the refs would change their calling around the net and the Lightning who had allowed eleven power plays in the first three games only gave up two in Game 4.Â
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The Lightning had an eighteen-game streak end in Game 2 where they didn't lose back to back, well now the Rangers have the streak (eight in a row at home) and the fact they haven't lost three in a row since April. Both teams know each other's strengths and weaknesses by now and if the Rangers can come out hot and take control with Shesterkin back at home off his worst game of this series we like our chances.
The key to the Rangers winning tonight will be the power play. The Rangers haven't scored an even-strength goal in over two games and over 120 minutes which is why they are glad to be back home. Vasilevsky has stopped forty-seven straight even-strength shots, the Rangers must take advantage of the power plays or they will be in a must-win game this weekend and their season may end this weekend as well.Â
In a home-dominated series, and the Rangers have dominated in 2022 as well, it's time to put the Lightning on the brink of elimination tonight. We expect Kreider and Zibanejad to get back to scoring now that they are home and as we said earlier get a power play and finish it with a goal.
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We will gladly take the NY Rangers +115 tonight as a home dog in a crucial Game 5 as they get their ninth straight home win. This game is on ESPN for your viewing pleasure as the Garden will be rocking as they don't want this to be the last game of the season and it won't be.
New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 5 Pick
Pick: Rangers ML +115 (Bet $115 to win $100)
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Igor Shesterkin