Gallant may alter lines with season hanging in the balance

TAMPA, Fla. — Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said he’s considering changing the look of the lineup ahead of the club’s sixth elimination game this postseason, Game 6 against the Lightning on Saturday night at Amalie Arena.

“I will 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 scratch Ryan Reaves in favor of Kevin Rooney as part of his first lineup change not prompted by an injury of the series. Reaves was a healthy scratch for the first time this postseason, while Rooney played for the first time since Game 5 of the second-round series against the Hurricanes.

It is unclear if Gallant will go with Rooney over Reaves again, but the fourth-line matchup with the Lightning’s Pat Maroon, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Riley Nash was largely effective. In 7:40 of ice time in the loss, according to Natural Stat Trick, Rooney, Tyler Motte and Barclay Goodrow held a 6-3 advantage in shots and were on the ice for one Rangers goal and one against.

The Lightning, however, did have four scoring chances compared to their one and a 2-0 edge in highdanger opportunities as well.

Rooney went 6-for-8 (75 percent) in the faceoff circle, which was a team-high and his highest percentage on faceoffs in these playoffs.

“I think you know that answer,” Gallant said when asked about his decision to play Rooney over Reaves. “You like a little speed for your lineup. I like Reavo, he does his job for us real good, but we just wanted to change the lineup a little bit with a little bit more speed.”

Gallant hasn’t been one to dramatically shake up the lines in response to losses this entire season, but given how the Rangers have underperformed during five-on-five play, the coach may consider making adjustments to the forward group. Still, his confidence in the Rangers remains the same.

“Getting to know them for a year, seeing them do it all year long,” Gallant said of his team. “It’s gonna be a battle going into tomorrow night, gonna be a tough battle. But you get an opportunity to play in a Game 6 against Tampa Bay in their building and if you win that game, you feel pretty good about going home. And then you’re fortunate enough to win that game, you’re going to the Stanley Cup Final. So I like where we’re at.”

➤ Rangers defensemen have totaled 10 goals in these playoffs so far, which ranks second in the NHL behind the Avalanche’s 14. The Rangers defensive core has also combined for the secondhighest amount of points in the league, with 44.