The National Hockey League is finally back in North America as Opening Night commences across the league. Starting with a Tuesday night doubleheader slate that includes a Lightning vs Rangers matchup in the Eastern Conference.
For the New York Rangers, their home opener is a chance to get revenge over the Tampa Bay Lightning after losing to the Bolts in the Eastern Conference Finals this past June. For Tampa Bay, the first game of the season is an opportunity to prove that they are still the top dogs in the Eastern Conference even if their streak of Stanley Cups came to an end against the Colorado Avalanche.
Both teams will look a bit different after an offseason of change shuffled the decks in both New York and Tampa Bay. Those changes present a challenge for bettors, who will have to throw out last season’s results when analyzing this game to some degree. For the first bet of the season, we will take a look at those changes on both rosters and lock in on the best bet for the home opener at Madison Square Garden.
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Lightning vs Rangers Betting Pick
This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
No More Strome, Trade Deadline Acquisitions
New York went relatively all-in on making a playoff run last season, adding to the war chest in a move that paid off with a run deep into the conference finals and just two games away from the Cup finals. Unfortunately for the Rangers front office, all four of those trade deadline acquisitions are now gone as Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, Tyler Motte, and Justin Braun are no longer wearing the blueshirts.
Also gone is longtime center Ryan Strome, who had his share of struggles in the postseason but will be a big loss for the Rangers who now have to replace his presence as the team’s second line center. That means young players in the Rangers system will have to step up, something that will take some time and tribulations before the team is back at full speed.
Preseason Struggles
The Lightning struggled mightily throughout September in the preseason, dropping four out of five exhibition games in preparation for the 2022-23 campaign. On the positive side, the Bolts ended the preseason off with a win over the Florida Panthers but there should be concerns around the struggles in the prep for Opening Night.
New York also struggled throughout their preseason campaign as the Rangers dropped four out of six in the lead up to the regular season. Season openers have also been a tricky challenge for the Rangers in the last decade as they have won just four of their last ten openers.
Historically, the Lightning have been rock solid on Opening Night. The Bolts have won eight of their last ten season openers, which leaves bettors deciding if preseason form or historical trends are a bigger factor when picking a winner out of this matchup.
Elite Goalie Matchup
This Lightning vs Rangers matchup may feature the two best goaltenders in hockey as Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin stop the puck better than anybody. Both goalies guided their teams deep into the playoffs with monster performances between the pipes and should be the leading candidates for the Vezina Trophy this season.
Unsurprisingly, this great goaltending matchup has produced a ton of total Unders. The last five head to head matchups between Andrei and Igor have gone under the number and with the total at 5.5, it looks like the best play for this game.
Playoff hockey is a little bit tighter than regular season hockey and often produces lower scores due to less penalties being called. But the two best goalies in the game should shut the door enough to keep the score low in this Eastern Conference Finals rematch.