For the first time since 2000, the NHL's conference final are both going to a Game 7. The fun gets started in the Eastern Conference on Friday night at Madison Square Garden when the Rangers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Blueshirts are -148 favorites with a total of 5. If New York wins, it will host Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against either Anaheim or Chicago on Wednesday. If the Lightning win, they would host Chicago but visit Anaheim. I can assure you that the NHL league office is hoping beyond hope for a Rangers-Blackhawks Original Six Finals.
The Rangers and Lightning both will make their second appearance in a Game 7 this postseason. New York eliminated the Washington Capitals in the Second Round with a 2-1 overtime victory at Madison Square Garden on May 13, while the Lightning blanked the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 in Tampa the First Round on April 29.
The Rangers have posted six consecutive Game 7 wins, tied for the longest such streak in NHL history with the Red Wings, who won six consecutive Game 7s between 1949 and 1964, and the Boston Bruins, who captured six straight between 1983 and 1994. The Rangers also have won seven all-time Game 7s on Madison Square Garden ice, a streak dating to 1992.
Henrik Lundqvist's active six-game winning streak in Game 7s is a League record for goaltenders, as is his goals-against average (0.97) and his feat of allowing one or fewer goals in each of those contests. His six career victories are tied with Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy for the most in NHL history among goaltenders.
New York is 15-3 in elimination games over the past four seasons. Lundqvist has a 1.47 goals-against average, .954 save percentage and two shutouts in those games.
The Lightning's victory over Detroit in the First Round lifted the club's lifetime Game 7 record to 4-1, with their only loss coming in a 1-0 decision at Boston in the 2011 Eastern Conference Final. Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop stopped all 31 shots he faced in the series-deciding win over Detroit in the First Round, becoming the first goaltender to record a shutout in his first career Game 7 appearance since Montreal’s Carey Price did so in the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Boston.
Bishop has been much better this series at Madison Square Garden, where the Lightning have won twice, than at home, where the Rangers have scored 17 goals on him. The Rangers scored just four of their 21 goals this series at home.
“We show up to play every time on the road — it seems like we don’t have anyone to impress,” said New York's Derick Brassard, whose team finished with a league-best 28 road wins during the regular season. “Maybe at home we’re trying to impress our fans, or we’re trying to impress people. I think we just have to show up Friday and play the same way, be confident. They’re going to be loud. The atmosphere’s going to be great, and we just have to take those emotions and [use] it in a good way.”
Home teams are 94-65 (.591) all-time in Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including 3-0 in 2015. The team that scores first is 117-42 all-time (.736), including a 2-1 mark in 2015. Forty Game 7s have required overtime (40-of-159, 25.2%). Home and road teams each have 20 wins.
However, home teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs own only a 13-12 edge in Game 7s over the past five years, a statistically insignificant advantage.
Lightning are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in New York.
Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Lightning are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
Road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Lightning are 5-1 in their last 6 games playing on 2 days rest.
Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 Friday games.
Rangers are 10-2 in their last 12 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Rangers are 14-3 in their last 17 Friday games.
Rangers are 4-1 in their last 5 games playing on 2 days rest.
Category : Betting Picks
Tag : 2015 stanley cup playoffs , henrik lundqvist game 7 , nhl odds , rangers lightning game 7
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