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Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Tonight’s game is going to hurt. Sure, Tampa Bay is really good and should lay a hurting on the Rangers. I think that part we all expect. Tonight is different. Ryan McDonagh is now with the Lightning, and not with the Rangers. That will hurt. This will be the story. Although there is some humor in him being reunited with Girardi.

McDonagh was the former captain and the rock on the blue line. But times, they are a changing. JT Miller went with him, and the two of them combined for just under 15 years of service with the Rangers.

Update: Totally forgot it is Dan Girardi’s return as well. Recency bias I guess. Should be an emotional night.

Bolts Systems

Jon Cooper has the Lightning playing a pretty similar system as the Rangers. They run an overload 1-2-2 forecheck, but will mix in a 2-1-2 as well. They do this quite often against the Rangers actually. In the defensive zone, they mix zone and overload coverage depending on puck location. On special teams, they run a 1-3-1 power play and rotate between a diamond and box penalty kill depending on opposition setup.

Bolts Lines

JT Miller-Steven Stamkos-Nikita Kucherov
Yanni Gourde-Brayden Point-Tyler Johnson
Ondrej Palat-Anthony Cirelli-Alex Killorn
Chris Kunitz-Cedric Paquette-Cory Conacher

Victor Hedman-Anton Stralman
Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Braydon Coburn-Mikhail Sergachev

PP1: Kucherov-Stamkos-Killorn-Miller-Hedman
PP2: Point-Palat-Gourde-Johnson-Sergachev

Andrei Vasilevsky gets the start.

Rangers Lines 

Chris Kreider–Mika Zibanejad–Jesper Fast
Kevin Hayes–Filip Chytil-Mats Zuccarello
Jimmy Vesey-Lias Andersson-Ryan Spooner
Cody McLeod-Vlad Namestnikov-Pavel Buchnevich

Brady Skjei–John Gilmour
Marc Staal–Neal Pionk
Rob O’Gara-Ryan Sproul

PP1: Kreider-Namestnikov-Zibanejad-Buchnevich-Pionk
PP2: Vesey-Spooner-Zuccarello-Hayes-Gilmour

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start.

Scratches/Injuries: Kevin Shattenkirk (knee), Steven Kampfer (hand), Peter Holland (healthy), Tony DeAngelo (ankle)

Crazy Prediction: I don’t have one for tonight. I’m still adjusting to officially meaningless hockey.

Game time is 8pm. Be sure to follow on our Snapchat for in-game shenanigans.

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