Picks, predictions for Lightning vs. Rangers on NHL opening night

The New York Rangers open their 2022-2023 NHL campaign by hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Tuesday. The game is a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals that the Lightning won in six games. ESPN will have the broadcast with the puck scheduled to drop a little after 7:30 p.m. ET

Lightning vs. Rangers picks

Moneyline odds

Lightning: -105
Rangers -115

The Lightning enter the season with some new faces and will need some time to get chemistry going. They are also without second-line center Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Zach Bogosian, both of whom will miss several weeks recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. The Rangers are a deep group at the forward position and the addition of Vincent Trocheck gives them another 20-goal, 50-point player at center. Expect the blueshirts to attack the Lightning defenseman that will have new pairings across the board.

Pick: Rangers

Goal Total

Over/Under: 5.5

Both goaltenders (Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin) are former Vezina Trophy winners and are 1-2 on nealry everyone’s list of best goalies in the world. Shesterkin definitely raises his game with Vasilevskiy on the other side. Vasilevskiy, also a former Conn Smythe winner, is still getting a good gauge on his defense and it will take some games for him to get them where they need to be. I expect a very competitive matchup in goal with the Rangers getting a late empty-net to make the final 4-2.

Pick: Over