All hands on deck: Rangers at Lightning Preview

Game Sixteen: New York Rangers (8-7-2) at Tampa Bay Lightning (8-5-2)

Time: 7:00 PM EST

Location: Benchmark International Arena, Home of the Three-time Stanley Cup Champions

TV/Stream/Radio: TNT, HBOMax, 102.5 FM

Odds: Lightning -148

Know the Opponents: Blue Line Station

Well, tonight should definitely be a good night for program sales. “Get your programs! Can’t tell who is on the ice without your programs!” We miss those days. Anyway, the Tampa Bay Lightning are back on the ice after a couple of days off, and a nice day out on the windy seas, to take on the New York Rangers. At least most of the Lightning are on the ice. An absolute bevy of injuries has altered the line-up for tonight’s game and the organization’s depth will be tested.

Prior to their morning skate, the Lightning announced that Boris Katchouk and Scott Sauborin had been recalled to the NHL, most likely to take the spots vacated by the injured Dominic James and Pontus Holmberg. With two tough Eastern Conference opponents in their near future it seems the organization is going for grit and physicality over offense to fill the holes on the bottom-six.

Good teams are usually deep teams, and when the Lightning were on their ascension path to glory, they could plug players into different roles and they would succeed. That’s what they will need over the next week or so while they deal with the injuries, especially the ones on defense. J.J Moser has been really good this season, but he will need to raise his game. The same goes for Erik Cernak. Those are the two defenders that are going to be relied on the most if Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman aren’t able to go tonight.

Emil Lilleberg and Darren Raddysh are going to be tested more as well. Charle-Edouard D’Astous has shown the skill needed to stay in the NHL, can he carry that for 20+ minutes for multiple games? If the Lightning can respond to these challenges, it bodes well for success throughout the season, and will indicate that they are a much deeper team than they have been in the past couple of seasons.

No matter who is on the ice, they’re going to have to take care of the puck, and that will be a team-wide effort. Forwards have to support their defenders and can’t fly the zone once Tampa Bay controls the puck. They can’t get cute at the opposing blueline and turn it over. Tonight could feature some boring hockey of the dump and chase variety, but that could be the most effective way to control the puck.

As for their opponent. The Rangers come into town after finally picking up a win on home ice. Yes, you read that right. They started 0-6-1 at the World’s Most Famous Arena before doubling up the Nashville Predators, 6-3, on Monday. As bad as they’ve been at home, it’s been the complete opposite on the road as they are 7-1-1.

It’s been their road defense that has helped carry them to that impressive start as they are allowing just 1.52 goals-per-60 at 5v5 away from New York City this year. No team is giving up fewer scoring chances or high-danger chances in away games then they are either. So, expect it to be a grind for the Lightning’s offense tonight.

It sounds like it was an optional skate this morning and Coach Jon Cooper isn’t quite sure what line-up he is going with tonight, but whoever he puts out there is going to have to keep their game simple and smart in order for the team to pick up two points tonight.

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning (based on Tuesday’s practice and some guessing)

Forwards:

Defense:

Goaltenders:

New York Rangers

Forwards:

Defense:

Goaltenders: