The NHL betting action goes on Thursday, June 9, with Game 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Finals between Tampa Bay and New York, so we have prepared the best Lightning vs. Rangers betting pick and odds.   

With the series tied at 2-2, the Lightning head to Madison Square Garden as -130 moneyline favorites. The Rangers are +110 home underdogs, and the totals are listed at 5.5 goals on MyBookie Sportsbook. 

The Bolts dominated the Rangers in Game 4                           

After overcoming a two-goal deficit in a 3-2 home victory over New York in Game 3, the Tampa Bay Lightning put on a strong performance in Game 4 and fully deserved a 4-1 win. Playing as -185 home favorites, the Bolts had a 3-0 lead following Steven Stamkos’ seventh goal of the postseason with 15:04 left on the clock in the third period. 

Ondrej Palat led the charge for the Lightning in Game 4, finishing with one goal and two assists. Jan Rutta made a couple of dishes, while Andrei Vasilevskiy had a big game between the pipes with 34 saves. 

Vasilevskiy has struggled through the first two games of this series. He bounced back in front of the home fans, and the Bolts hope to see more of the same in Game 5 at The Garden. The 27-year-old netminder is 10-5 with a 2.44 GAA and .925 save percentage in the 2022 Stanley Cup. 

The Rangers need more from their offense                    

The New York Rangers demolished the Lightning 6-2 in the opener. After a narrow 3-2 victory in Game 2, the Rangers blew a huge opportunity to push the two-time defending champions to the brink of elimination. 

Last Tuesday, New York couldn’t cope with the Bolts. Artemi Panarin converted a power-play opportunity with 3:33 left on the clock in the third period, but it was too little, too late. Igor Shesterkin had 27 stops in Game 4 and a whopping 49 saves in Game 3, so the Rangers can only blame their offense. 

Shesterkin has been an absolute monster so far this postseason, posting a 10-7 record with a 2.65 GAA and .929 save percentage. In his last ten outings, the 26-year-old goalie has allowed only 20 goals while tallying a .944 save percentage.  

Trends:

Tampa Bay: 

  • 8-2 in the last ten games overall 
  • 5-2 in the last seven games played in June   

NY Rangers:

  • 3-8 in the last 11 playoff games when listed as underdogs  

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers Pick 

The Lightning have the momentum on their side, while the Rangers know they cannot allow another loss. New York is undefeated in eight straight outings on the home ice, so I’m expecting an epic battle in Game 5. 

I was backing the Bolts since the opener and will stick with the reigning champs. Tampa Bay should control the flow of this game, but with Igor Shesterkin in the crease, the Rangers are certainly capable of pulling off another upset. I just think the Lightning possess greater depth than New York. Tampa might miss Brayden Point (lower body), but the Rangers listed both Filip Chytil (upper body) and Ryan Strome (lower body) as a game-time decision for Thursday’s clash. 

Pick: Take Tampa Bay Lightning at -130            

The Total:

Game 1 was a proper high-scoring affair, while the total has gone under in the next three contests. Interestingly, all three have seen exactly five goals on the scoreboard, so the bookies stick with a 5.5-goal line in Game 5. 

I lean the under because of the starting goaltenders, but you never know what can happen down the stretch. An empty-net goal is always a possibility in games like this one. The under is 8-1 in Tampa Bay’s last nine games overall, and it is 8-3 in New York’s previous 11. 

Pick: Go under 5.5 goals at -140