The Tampa Bay Lightning welcome in the New York Rangers tonight in Game 4 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals. The game is scheduled for a 8:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on the NBC Sports Network. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Lightning favored to pick up another win in this one.
Tampa Bay has really put the puck in the back of the net in their two Eastern Conference Finals wins. The Lightning, the best team in the league during the regular season in home games, found a way to make Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist look poor again in Game 3, a 6-5 overtime loss. Lundqvist has to play better tonight if the Rangers are going to have any chance at evening the series.
The Lightning have scored six goals in each of their wins, which has come in back-to-back fashion. Tampa Bay has put a lot of pressure on Lundqvist up front, the Ranger defense has to play better. While a lot of the blame falls on Lundqvist, naturally as the goalie, the Ranger defense has to find a way to slow the Lightning down. Maybe that's going to be a considerable problem for New York.
Offensively, the Rangers have put up nine goals in the three games, which often times is plenty in playoff action. Yet, they find themselves down 2-1 and looking at a really big problem after tonight if they don't win.
Steven Stamkos knows the Lightning want to play a faster style of hockey, he admitted the Rangers probably want to play that way as well. But it has been a disaster for the Rangers playing at Tampa Bay's pace with the two losses. New York needs to win a slower style, low-scoring game. The Rangers have won seven of nine games this post season that ended in 2-1 scores.
But Ben Bishop continues to be just good enough. He hasn't played great but the offense in front of him has, the Tyler Johnson line especially. Look for that to continue tonight as the Lightning get one step closer to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Free Pick: Tampa Bay
NFL Free Pick: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
According to professional sports bettor Steve Fezzik, the early bird can catch a profitable worm if they put money down on Green Bay's opening week showing against the Chicago Bears. With the line currently at -4.5 at most Vegas sports books, Fezzik predicts it will move to -6.5 come game day, as no one is going to be betting on the Jay Cutler-helmed Bears, so the money will pour in on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. With that being the case, time strike early while the iron is hot.
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