Bolts’ offence vs. Rangers’ D
N.Y. Rangers-Tampa Bay Lightning
More than a year ago, Martin St. Louis wanted out of Tampa Bay.
Fourteen months later, Tampa Bay will try to boot that same St. Louis out of the playoffs.
Be careful what you wish for, Marty.
In an Eastern Conference final between the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning that is oozing with storylines, the friends-become-foes theme stands front and centre, laying the foundation for some wonderful on-ice theatre between a pair of ridiculously skilled teams.
Indeed, when the Rangers look over at the Tampa Bay bench, they’ll see two players — forward Brian Boyle and defenceman Anton Stralman — who were their teammates just a year ago when New York made a magical run to the final only to be thwarted by the Los Angeles Kings.
Meanwhile, in the Rangers, Tampa Bay fans will be served a reminder of their team’s glorious history in the form of St. Louis and defenceman Dan Boyle, two of the stars of the Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cupwinning squad.
THE MATCHUP
New York Rangers ( 53- 227) 1st in conference) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (50-24-8) 3rd in conference)
THE RANGERS WIN IF ...:
Veterans Rick Nash and St. Louis get their goal- scoring acts together. Through two rounds, this not-so- dynamic duo has combined to score twice — both courtesy of Nash. The Lightning have the deepest group of forwards the Rangers have faced thus far, so the Rangers likely will need to average more than two goals per game to advance.
Their experience overcomes Tampa Bay’s youthful exuberance. By eliminating the Capitals in seven, the Rangers became the first NHL team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series in back-to-back. To that end, goalie Henrik Lundqvist is now 6- 1 all- time in post-season Game 7s. Connect the dots here, and you have a Rangers team that consistently exhibits a never-say- die attitude no matter how bleak things look.
Lundqvist keeps performing like King Henrik. He’s 8-4 in these playoffs with a 1.60 goalsagainst average.
THE LIGHTNING WIN IF ...:
Goalie Ben Bishop can match Lundqvist save for save. Sure, that’s easier said than done. But in this battle, Bishop will have to keep up the same level of play that he exhibited in outlasting the Canadiens’ Carey Price.
It continues to get balanced scoring. While the Red Wings and the Canadiens, to a lesser extent, managed to muzzle Tampa Bay’s top line led by Steven Stamkos, both opponents were gutted by the dominance of the Tyler Johnson-Nikita Kucherov-Ondrej Palat unit. That trio, in fact, have accounted for 17 of the Lightning’s 34 goals in the 2015 playoffs.
Stamkos continues to heat up. He was held without a goal against Detroit in the first round. He failed to register a shot in Games 3 and 4 against Montreal. Still, his Lightning advanced. Imagine how pow- erful his team will be if he starts heating up?
YOUNG GUNS F Derek Stepan, Rangers:
We forget sometimes that the Game 7 OT hero against the Caps is just 24. The best is yet to come.
F Nikita Kucherov, Lightning:
At just 21 years of age, he already has 11 points through two rounds.
KEY MATCHUP
Stamkos vs. Ryan McDonagh The Rangers captain has shadowed Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin over the first two rounds. Things won’t get any easier with Stamkos.
BOTTOM LINE
The league’s deepest defence (Rangers) versus one of the most dangerous offences (Lightning). Lundqvist could be the determining factor.
ZIZE’S PICK:
Rangers in seven, although they’ll need to average more than the twogoals-per game they’ve registered in the first two rounds.