TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING NOTES:
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Lightning and Rangers are playing the second of three matchups this season and the only meeting at Madison Square Garden…Tampa Bay dropped the first meeting between the two teams this season in a 5-1 loss Dec. 30 at AMALIE Arena…Nikita Kucherov scored the Bolts lone goal Dec. 30 vs. NYR while Nick Paul and Steven Stamkos picked up the helpers…Kucherov is riding a four-game point streak vs. NYR (1-3—4) and has found the scoresheet in nine of the last 10 meetings (3-11—14)…Kucherov has picked up points in each of his last five games at NYR (1-6—7) and 10 of his 12 career contests at Madison Square Garden (3-10—13)…Stamkos (7-8—15) and Brayden Point (4-7—11) have both pointed in nine of their last 12 games vs. NYR…Victor Hedman has recorded 13 points over his last 13 contests vs. NYR (1-12—13) and has nine points over his last 10 contests at Madison Square Garden (1-8—9)…The Bolts are 4-6-0 in their last 10 road games at NYR and 3-6-1 in the last 10 meetings overall… The Lightning are 50-48-7 with five ties all-time vs. NYR, including a home record of 24-28-2 with two ties… Martin St. Louis (20-26—46) holds the Tampa Bay franchise records for career goals, assists and points vs. NYR.
INJURIES
PLAYER INJURY STATUS GAMES MISSED
Erik Cernak Upper-Body Day-to-Day 7
Haydn Fleury Upper-Body Day-to-Day 12
Tanner Jeannot Lower-Body Day-to-Day 9
Mikhail Sergachev Lower-Body Day-to-Day 17
Austin Watson Lower-Body Week-to-Week 3
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
DATE PLAYER MOVE
February 5, 2024 Mitchell Chaffee Recalled from AHL Syracuse
NEW YORK RANGERS NOTES:
RANGERS RUNDOWN
– The New York Rangers continue a home stretch with a Wednesday night meeting against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7:00 PM ET – TV: TNT, MAX – Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM). New York will play three of their next four games at home. – New York has points in four of its last five games (3-1-1) and have the third most wins (tied) in the NHL with 31. – In the past 30 years, the club has earned as many wins (31) through 50 games just four times: 1993-94 (33), 2011-12 (33), 2021-22 (32) and 2016-17 (31). – At home, the Rangers are 14-0-0 when allowing three or fewer goals in a game. – New York will wear their third jerseys for the sixth time this season and are 4-1-0 when wearing them. – The Blueshirts have points in seven-straight games (6-0-1) against the Lightning and in nine of their last 10 contests against them (7-1-2). At home, New York has won four-straight against Tampa Bay. – In the last 18 games (since Dec. 27), Artemi Panarin (23 pts) and Vincent Trocheck (18 pts) have recorded a combined 41 points (20G-21A). – New York has the NHL’s third best power play percentage (27.0) and ranks fifth in penalty kill percentage (83.1). – The Rangers’ 54.1 faceoff percentage is the fourth highest in the NHL. Since 1997-98 when the league started tracking FOW%, the team hasn’t finished a season over 53.3 percent. – New York has accumulated 123 points from defensemen this season, the fourth most in the NHL. – The Blueshirts have 15 comeback wins this season, tied for third in the NHL, and eight when trailing in the third period, tied for the second most in the league.
MAN GAMES LOST – 89
PLAYER INJURY/REASON DATES MISSED CONS. GAMES MISSED
Filip Chytil Upper Body Nov. 4-Feb. 5 40
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 5 – Connor Mackey re-assigned to Hartford
Feb. 4 – Jake Leschyshyn and Connor Mackey recalled from Hartford