Overview
- Puck drop is 7 p.m. ET at Benchmark International Arena with national coverage on TNT and HBO Max.
- The Rangers carry an NHL-best 7-1-1 road record driven by league-leading 5-on-5 road defense and a 1.89 goals-against average away from home.
- Tampa Bay has won seven of its past eight games after a slow start, led recently by Brandon Hagel’s winner against Washington and Jake Guentzel’s 15 points.
- The Lightning placed Ryan McDonagh on injured reserve Wednesday and listed Victor Hedman as day-to-day, prompting recalls of Boris Katchouk and Scott Sabourin and blue-line adjustments.
- Igor Shesterkin is projected to start a third straight game for New York, Andrei Vasilevskiy is listed for Tampa Bay, Anthony Cirelli is expected to play, and Nick Paul is not due back until next week at the earliest.