The Tampa Bay Lighting convincingly won Game 4 at home on Tuesday, and despite the Eastern Conference Finals tied for two games each, the New York Rangers have lost all momentum.
However, the home team can push the Bolts to the brink of elimination with a win tonight at Madison Square Garden, where the Rags are 8-1 straight into the playoffs.
Can the Rangers overcome some key player injuries or has Andrei Vasilevskiy found another team in the series? Find out in our free NHL pick and predictions for Lightning Vs. Rangers.
Odds of Lightning vs Rangers 5
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each regulated sports betting market.
The Rangers opened up to +115, but have gained some confidence in the market and sit as +105 house dogs starting Thursday morning. New York closed the +115 money line at Games 1 and 2 at a disadvantage.
The total is also faltering on the precipice of 5.5 and 5, as it currently stands at -140 for the Under 5.5. Each game in this series has opened and closed at 5.5 p.m.
Use the live odds widget above to keep track of any future line moves until the puck drops, and be sure to check the full NHL odds before betting to make sure you get the best number.
Predictions of Lightning vs Rangers Game 5
Predictions made on 6/09/2022 at 10:00 ET. Click on each prediction to go to the full analysis.
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Game information Lightning vs Rangers 5
• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY • Date: Thursday, June 9, 2022 • Album Delivery: 8:00 PM ET • TV: ESPN
Lightning vs. Rangers series odds (2-2 draw)
Lightning: -170Rangers: +150
Lightning vs Rangers Game 5 betting preview
Key injuries
Lightning: Brayden Point F (questionable). Rangers: Ryan Strome F (questionable), Filip Chytil F (questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Lightning vs. Rangers face-to-face record in the series
Lightning: 2-2 SU, 11 goals per. Rangers: 2-2 SU, 12 goals per.
Betting trend to know
The Under have been 8-1 in the last nine of the Lightning overall. Find more NHL betting trends for Lightning Vs. Rangers.
Lightning vs Rangers Game 5 picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based on our analysis of the line and total of this game. Our best bet is our preferred choice in all markets.
Money line analysis
The New York Rangers had a two-goal lead in Game 3 with a chance to take a 3-0 lead in the series. However, a goal from Ondrej Palat with 42 seconds left in the game gave the Bolts the 3-2 victory from behind and changed the momentum of the series for tonight’s game 5.
Lightning followed up this victory with a dominating performance on Tuesday where they led Game 4 for over 57 minutes. Andrei Vasilevskiy was excellent and stopped 34 of New York’s 35 shots and looked close after a first-half goal.
Lightning could get help today with Brayden Point looking more questionable than outside. If he could adapt, he would give a big boost to the Bolts, as Point plays in all situations and he centering the second line would balance that 5-on-5 attack from Tampa Bay that has sometimes seemed bland without him.
Even if Point loses its ninth straight game, Lightning could have another advantage as the Rangers arrive tonight with a burst. Ryan Strome, the second-line and power play center fielder, was struck out in Game 4 and is highly questionable tonight. He picked up the injury at the end of game 3.
To make matters worse, third-line center and KID line pivot Filip Chytil left in the second period on Tuesday and did not return. It’s questionable for tonight and his absence would also be hard to beat for the Rangers.
The potential loss of Strome and Chytil would create a giant hole in the middle of this New York offense and the lack of key powerhouses has a domino effect on the team. They will be worse on the face-to-face point, it will be difficult for them to move the puck and they may have problems with their own defensive play in the neutral zone and zone D.
The Lightning have also hardened things just as hard. New York failed to score a 5-on-5 goal in two games and Vasilevskiy stopped the 47 shots of equal strength he has seen since the second game. The Tampa goalie is also one of the best vigilantes when it comes to establishing zone outings, which is a much underestimated skill for a backstop.
Those who guessed Vasilevsky are right. Leads all goalkeepers in recoveries leading to exits. – Shesterkin leads the overall outings, but some loss of control has hurt him. – Mike Smith is in a class of his own. – Avs goalkeepers generally don’t play the record. pic.twitter.com/ppHuiKOXdq
– Corey Sznajder (@ShutdownLine) June 8, 2022
Tampa Bay also made a very important adjustment to Game 4 which was to stay out of the area as the New York power play has been the best in the playoffs. The Rangers only had two power plays last time, and although they scored in one of them, having only two chances was a big deal for both defenders.
Igor Shesterkin could certainly steal this game with a .948 savings percentage and an average of 2.04 goals against in nine home playoff games, but the Bolts are healthier, have the momentum and are getting 10 points better that its closing price in the game. 2 and MSG.
This has been a series of home games with the visitors losing all the matches so far, but we like this trend to end tonight. The Lightning have won the expected goal battle in all four games.
Prediction: Lightning Money Line (-125 on PointsBet)
Covers NHL betting analysis
Upper / lower analysis
The Under has hit three games in a row in the series and the markets certainly seem to be able to take the plunge and hit 5. In every game in this series, the total has opened and closed at 5.5, but much has been given to the Under. . The books have been adamant about keeping that total at 5.5, but with -140 in the Under from 10am ET, there is plenty of time left for it to reach 5.
Entering Game 1, everyone was expecting a series of low scores and the 6-2 final of Game 1 made people guess quickly. Like most of the time, though, our initial reaction was right, as a series backed by two of the league’s top goalkeepers has been installed and since then the goals have been difficult. ‘achieve.
Were it not for the power game, the Rangers could possibly lose three games to one. New York have not conceded a goal in more than 120 minutes in more than two games and Vasilevsky has stopped the 47 equalizer he has seen in the last two games.
If the Bolts can minimize power chances for the Rangers (just two power plays for New York in Game 4), the home team should struggle to find the bottom of the net against a closed Vasilevskiy.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is 1 win away from the playoffs to become the 17th goalkeeper in NHL history to reach 60 in his career.
With 12 wins to tie Jacques Plante and reach the top 10 of all time.
– Jason Gold (@ JayGold85) June 8, 2022
Offensively, the Rangers could be injured tonight if Strome and Chytil sit down with injuries. Second- and third-line centers are the main contributors, and their possible absences are a major problem for the offense. Tampa is starting to learn how to shut down this New York team and losing those key pivots would make things even easier for John Cooper’s team.
We saw the Rangers give up a lot of shots in the first three games, as Shesterkin is seeing more shots / 60 than any other goalkeeper in the playoffs. Well, Tampa’s attack slowed down a bit in Game 4 and he sat back to protect his back. Tampa only had a total of 15 shots in the first two periods combined, as they sat with an early lead and did not play aggressively. If the Bolts get up early again today, we could see the same strategy from the visitors tonight.
This is more of a lean than a play, as we are not happy to hit and Under 5.5 to -140. If this total reaches 5, we doubt it will stay there long before you bet again. This total should close at 5.5.
Prediction: Less than 5.5 (-140 in Coolbet)
The best bet
Ondrej Palat comes from a three-point game and the versatile winger has added a point in six of his last seven games. He plays in the end with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov, who have also found their goals in recent times.
If Brayden Point plays, he will likely play with Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli on the second line, with Brandon Hagel possibly joining Nick Paul and Colton Ross, but Point’s suit still looks like a chance.
Palat has 130 playoff games in his belt and is playing with the big dogs who could face a New York team that could be without two of its best centers in Strome and Chytil. This could hurt the Rangers on the defensive and in the opposing circle, which will only help Tampa’s top line as it has more offensive zone changes.
To make it even better, Palat is playing a lot on PP1 and his use at the last minute to protect the lead has helped him accumulate some points in the empty net. Although the Rangers won Games 1 and 2 at home, Tampa had the best chances, had more shots and won the long-awaited goal battle.
Selection: Ondrej Palat More than 0,5 points (-105)
Statistics from Covers, Moneypuck, Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com
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