Rangers Vs Lightning: Three storylines to watch as the Blueshirts return from their holiday break
The New York Rangers will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on their home turf, after a five-day break. The team was shut out by their Hudson River rivals, the New Jersey Devils, 5-0 on Monday, and will have to win tonight to make up ground lost recently.
The New York Rangers will need a full-team effort, tonight as they have given up 13 of their last 17 games.
A record(16-17-1) that's good enough for 7th in the Metropolitan Division, while their opponents the Tampa Bay Lightning are 19-11-2 and are in the top Wild Card spot in the East.
The Lightning will undoubtedly come out of the gate with a ferocity the Rangers should expect.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette made the point the Rangers will have to use the break as a reset for the team.
Here are 3 Storylines to watch tonight as the Rangers battle the Lightning.
"Key" Rangers Return To The Lineup
The Rangers have placed defenseman K'Andre Miller back into the lineup tonight after being out of the lineup for six games on IR. The team has gone 1-5-0 with the defenseman out of the lineup and could provide the needed support that the defensive core has been lacking, even with recent trades.
Chris Kreider will return to the lineup, after being benched when the Rangers played the New Jersey Devils. Kreider has had one goal, in the last eight games of play and could be motivated to make an impact tonight against the Lightning.
The Rangers will need the BFF line to produce tonight, as he will slot in with Mika Zibanejad, and Reilly Smith.
Igor and Vasy
Andrei Vasilevskyi has won the Vezina Trophy once and has a Conn Smythe trophy to his name in addition to two Stanley Cups. The Lightning goaltender is destined to a HHOF nomination in the future as he crossed the 300-win milestone recently.
The Rangers have Igor Shesterkin, a one-time Vezina winner, who was recently awarded the largest contract for a goalie in NHL history.
It will be countrymen against countrymen, as the best man will win tonight. That typically is Igor Shesterkin who has a winning record against the Lightning.
Strength
The Rangers have one of the best penalty kills in the league with a rating of 85.3% despite letting in three power-play goals on Monday.
With Chris Kreider's return to the lineup, the Rangers' PK should be strengthened, and they'll need it when they face off against Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov.
Against the Atlantic Division this season, the Rangers have a record of 8-2-0, while the Lightning have failed to put up their best work this season with a 6-1-2 record n the Metro.
The Rangers have to play to their strengths and shutdown Kucherov, and the Lightning's high-powered offense.
