Eastern Conference foes are set to meet on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers (5-2-0, 10 pts.) have gotten off to a good start, looking like an improved squad in 2026. New York will look to keep the momentum going on Tuesday when it hosts the Lightning (4-1-0, 8 pts.). Tampa Bay, while far removed from its title-winning glory years, remains a postseason contender. Can this veteran crew pick up a win on the road tonight?
Tampa Bay comes into this one as favorites (-162), with New York priced at +136 on the moneyline. Read on for a Lightning vs. Rangers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday’s game, with puck drop scheduled for 7:25 p.m. EST.
Lightning vs. Rangers prediction, preview
Even more casual hockey fans are familiar with members of this Tampa Bay roster. Franchise mainstays Brandon Hagel (4 G, 4 A), Jake Guentzel (3 G, 3 A) and Nikita Kucherov (1 G, 7 AST) remain effective players. With that being said, this offense as a whole has looked rusty. The Lightning have only scored 16 goals as a unit this season, 16th in the NHL. Still, they found the back of the net five times on Saturday vs. the Islanders; that could bode well for this group’s chances going forward.
Several underlying metrics seem to suggest positive regression for Tampa Bay’s offense. The team is seventh in shot attempt percentage (55.58%) and sixth in unblocked shot attempt percentage (55.3%). Granted, Jon Cooper’s club has done a poor job at taking advantage of mistakes. The Lighting rank within the bottom ten teams in power play percentage (10.0%) and net power play percentage (10.0%). Given the amount of talent on this roster, it’s likely just a matter of time until those opportunities turn into points. It helps that Tampa’s defense, bolstered by offseason pickup John Carlson, has allowed the league’s third-fewest goals (12) so far. Keep in mind, former Norris winner Victor Hedman is still working his way back from an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign.
When these two teams met to open the season, it was the Rangers who earned a 5-1 victory. However, that was with standout goalie Igor Shesterkin on the ice. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old suffered a season-ending knee injury last week vs. Washington. It’s a major loss for New York, a team that leans on the former Vezina winner. To make matters worse, primary backup Joonas Korpisalo (lower body) is also sidelined. That leaves 24-year-old Dylan Garand as the team’s current starter. The rookie has performed well over three appearances this season, but tonight’s game is a clear step up in competition.
Still, it’s not as if New York is hopeless at the moment. The defense is surprisingly deep, headlined by two-time All-Star Adam Fox (6 A). Offseason pickups Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi have been solid on the second line as well. The Rangers have only given up 13 goals through seven games, fifth-fewest in the NHL this season. The big get this summer was Pavel Dorofeyev. However, the forward only has three points through his first seven games. It’s been the youngsters doing most of the scoring on Broadway; former top prospects Alexis Lafreniere and Gabriel Perreault have combined for eight goals and six assists. The Rangers have a 14.1% shooting percentage, sixth-best in the NHL this season. To boot, the Blueshirts have scored at least four goals in each of their first four games at home.
Lightning vs. Rangers pick, best bet
Tampa Bay’s offense has looked lackluster at best so far, but it should improve going forward. The team has scored 12 times over its last three games, in spite of a mediocre power play. With Shesterkin out, it’ll be easier to net one against the relatively unproven Garand. As for New York, six different members of the active roster have already scored multiple goals. The Rangers scored five times the last time these teams met; that bodes well for their chances on Tuesday.
