NY Rangers Game 27 Open topic: Rangers vs. Tampa

The Rangers have now won three in a row, including one against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blueshirts have a chance to make it four in a row, with Tampa coming to MSG on the back of their own six-game winning streak. Tampa and Carolina are the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference, so a win today will silence many doubters about the Rangers and their ability to compete for a playoff spot this year. Tampa is without Victor Hedman and Brayden Point, so the Rangers should try to take advantage of this.

With Will Borgen still out, the Rangers dress Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow as their third pairing, a pairing that Tampa will look to exploit. The Rangers have the last draft, so expect Mike Sullivan to try to protect that pair from Tampa’s depth while getting the Gavrikov-Fox pairing against Nikita Kucherov.

Rangers lines

Will Cuylle-Mika Zibanejad-Alexis Lafreniere
Artemi Panarin-Vincent Trocheck-JT Miller
Brett Berard-Noah Laba-Jonny Brodzinski
Adam Edstrom-Sam Carrick-Taylor Raddysh

Vlad Gavrikov-Adam Fox
Carson Soucy-Braden Schneider
Matthew Robertson-Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin gets the start.

Lightning lines

Brandon Hagel-Anthony Cirelli-Nikita Kucherov
Jake Guentzel-Nick Paul-Gage Goncalves
Zemgus Girgensons-Yahhi Gourde-Pontus Holmberg
Curtis Douglas-Dominic James-Oliver Bjorkstrand

JJ Moser-Darren Raddysh
Charles-Edouard D’Astous-Emil Lilleberg
Declan Carlile-Steven Santini

Jonas Johansson gets the start.

Game time is 2:00 PM.