TAMPA, Florida – Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant has said he is considering changing the line-up before the club’s sixth knockout match this postseason, Game 6 against Lightning on Saturday night. at the Amalie Arena.
“I’ll decide tomorrow,” Gallant said after the Rangers arrived in Tampa on Friday.
Ahead of the Rangers’ 3-1 loss in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, Gallant opted to strike out Ryan Reaves in favor of Kevin Rooney as part of his first non-injury lineup. the series. Reaves was a healthy scratch for the first time this postseason, while Rooney played for the first time since the fifth game of the second-round series against the Hurricanes.
It is unclear if Gallant will play Rooney again on Reaves, but the fourth-line clash with Pat Maroon, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Riley Nash of the Lightning was very effective. In 7:40 of ice time in defeat, according to Natural Stat Trick, Rooney, Tyler Motte and Barclay Goodrow maintained a 6-3 lead on shots and were on the ice for a goal from the Rangers and one against.
Jacob Trouba (right) fights Pat Maroon of the Lightning for the puck during the Rangers’ fifth game loss. Getty Images
Lightning, however, had four chances to score compared to theirs and also a 2-0 lead on high-risk opportunities.
Rooney was 6 of 8 (75%) in the circle of matches, which was the team’s highest and its highest percentage of matches in these playoffs.
“I think you know that answer,” Gallant said when asked about his decision to play Rooney on Reaves. “You like a little bit of speed for your training. I like Reavo, he does his job for us very well, but we just wanted to change the lineup a little bit with a little more speed.”
Gallant hasn’t drastically changed lines in response to losses throughout the season, but given how the Rangers have performed poorly during the five-on-five game, the coach may consider making adjustments to the forward group. Still, his confidence in the Rangers remains the same.
“Knowing them for a year, watching them do it all year,” Gallant said of his team. “It’s going to be a battle that starts tomorrow night, it’s going to be a tough battle. But you have a chance to play a 6th game against Tampa Bay in their building and if you win that game, you’ll feel great going home. And then “You’re lucky to win this game, you’re going to the Stanley Cup final. So I like where we are.”
“I wish we had won [Thursday] night and I’ve been awake 3-2, but that’s what it is. We’ve been there twice before. Keep fighting, keep playing and watch what happens. ”
The Rangers have scored 10 goals in the playoffs so far, ranking second in the NHL behind the Avalanche’s 14th. The Rangers’ defensive core has also combined to reach the second highest number of points in the league, with 44.