The Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers face off in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. It's time to continue our NHL odds coverage with a Lightning-Rangers Game 5 prediction and pick.
The Lightning defeated the Rangers 4-1 in Game 4 on Tuesday to even the series at two apiece. It has now turned into a best-of-three series. Ondrej Palat was the hero in this showdown, notching a goal with two assists. Also, Jan Rutta provided two apples to help push the Lightning through. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 34 saves, allowing just one goal. The Lightning led throughout the game and felt minimal pressure. Now, they aim to steal one at the Garden.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Lightning-Rangers odds:
NHL odds: Lightning-Rangers Odds
Lightning: -1.5 (+202) ML (-130)
Rangers: +1.5 (-250) ML (+108)
Over: 5.5 (+116)
Under: 5.5 (-142)
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Why the Lightning Could Cover The Spread
The Lightning are riding the momentum of two straight wins. Now, they seek to tilt the series back in their favor and take a game at the Garden. Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Victor Hedman are the star players on the ice. After doing nothing in Game 2, Stamkos produced in Games 3 and 4. He had a goal and an assist in the Game 3 victory and added another goal in Game 3. Likewise, Kucherov exploded in Game 3 with a goal and two assists. He added another goal in Game 4 to help the Lightning secure the win. Hedman provided two assists in Game 3 and was on the ice for three Lightning goals in Game 4. However, Vasilevskiy was the hero in both games.
After struggling at the Garden, Vasilevskiy stopped 62 of the 65 shots he faced in Games 3 and 4. Now, he hopes to replicate that effort and hopes he can continue the success. Vasilevskiy has historically been bad against the Rangers, going 5-6-2 against New York, including playoffs. He will need his offense to help.
The Lightning fired 52 shots on goal in Game 3 and 31 in Game 4. They won 52 percent of the draws in the faceoff circle during Game 4 after barely losing the category in Game 3. They blocked 17 shots in Game 4, which helped Vasilevskiy tremendously. However, Tampa Bay struggled on the power play. The Lightning went 0 for 3 on the extra-man attack after converting two in Game 3. Tampa Bay will need to convert on its chances to strike at the Rangers early.
The Lightning will cover the spread if their core players execute as they did over the past two games. Additionally, Vasilevskiy must deliver another stellar outing to give the Lightning a chance to have a close-out game this weekend.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
The Rangers were up 2-0 in this series not long ago. Now, they return to Madison Square Garden right back where they started. The Rangers have won most of their games when everyone has executed. However, this has not always happened for them. The Rangers are 8-1 at Madison Square Garden and 2-7 on the road. Alternatively, the Rangers are also 5-1 in Games 5 and after throughout these playoffs. New York has trailed 3-1 and was even with Carolina 2-2 in the last round. Igor Shesterkin has been sensational.
He played admirably in defeat in Game 3, making 49 saves. Game 4 was not as kind, but he did make 27 saves. It is the same story as the last series. The Rangers score plenty of goals at home and struggle to put the puck in the net on the road. They have averaged 3.5 goals in the two games at the Garden in this series. Alternatively, they have mustered 1.5 goals per game. The Rangers must keep the trend and score goals. Likewise, they have to get to Vasilevskiy early and not allow him to settle into a groove.
The Rangers did a poor job of blocking shots in game 4, and they cannot win hockey games this way. They barely lost the faceoff battle and had the same extra-man opportunities. However, the most essential thing for the Rangers to do is take a lead early. They have struggled to win games when falling behind. The Rangers will need the kid line to deliver. Alexis Lafreniere, Flip Chytill, and Kaapo Kaako all struggled in Game 4. New York needs them to succeed.
The Rangers cover the spread if they get another amazing performance from Shesterkin. Likewise, they need scoring from all angles. The kid line will need to find the spark and produce again.
Final Lightning-Rangers Game 5 Prediction & Pick
Picking the spread for either team serves almost no value. The Rangers have been a good team at home throughout these playoffs. Likewise, this feels like the ultimate do-or-die for them. New York cannot go back to Tampa Bay down 3-2. Expect the Rangers to win this game and head back to Tampa with a chance to close out the champions.
Final Lightning-Rangers Game 5 Prediction & Pick: Rangers ML (+108)
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