New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning picks, predictions & odds: Who will win Game 2?

The New York Rangers will be at Madison Square Garden again on Friday night as they battle the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final at 8 p.m.

New York could not have asked for a better Game 1. The Blueshirts scored just over a minute into the game as forward Chris Kreider found himself wide open in front of the net and tucked his ninth goal of the playoffs.

After a pretty even first half of the game, the Rangers dominated the rest of the way. Filip Chytil scored two goals in less than five minutes to put New York up 4-2. Only 30 seconds into the third period, Artemi Panarin scored his fifth of the playoffs to put this game away for good.

Can the Rangers position themselves to be only two games away from the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in eight years? Here are my picks and predictions for Game 2 with odds powered by Tipico Sportsbook.

MORE: Game 1 takeaways: Kid Line, Igor Shesterkin lead NY Rangers to thorough win

Spread: Lightning -1.5 (+185)

There's no doubt the rest vs. rust debate was settled on the ice Wednesday night. The moment you knew the Lightning were gassed was on the fourth Rangers' goal. Tampa Bay could not get the puck out of its own end for nearly two minutes when Chytil scored his second of the night and fourth in three games.

Now you're wondering, well, why is he choosing the Bolts to win by two or more goals after their Game 1 lackluster performance? The answer is how they've responded in this situation. Including this postseason, the Lightning are 17-0 after a loss. Tampa Bay has not lost back-to-back playoff games since Games 3 and 4 of the 2019 playoffs when it won the Presidents Trophy and got swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Take a look at their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. Similar to Wednesday night, the Lightning got embarrassed 5-0 in Game 1 and 5-2 in Game 3. In Game 2, they bounced back and won 5-2 while they dominated Game 4 with a 7-3 victory in Tampa Bay. In those 18 wins after a loss, nine of them came by two or more goals.

As disappointing a loss as Game 1 was for the Lightning, they should be back on track Friday night, and I think they do in a big way by winning by at least two goals at MSG.

Over/Under: Under 5.5 total goals (-115)

In what I believed was a smart play with two of the best goalies in the NHL, it seemed destined that the under was not the right move after Kreider's goal just 71 seconds into Game 1.

With my logic that the Lightning bounce back in Game 2, you'd have to believe we see a better outing from Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Last year's playoff MVP certainly did not play like it after nine days off and it showed. It was the most goals he allowed in the postseason since he let in six goals against the Florida Panthers in Round 1 of the 2020-21 playoffs. Since that game, he's allowed four or more goals only once after a loss.

If you're going with the trends, it'll tell you to take the over. The total has gone over in three of the last five head-to-head meetings and six of the last eight games for the Rangers' at MSG. The over has hit in five straight games for New York as a home underdog. For the Lightning, the over is 11-3 in Tampa Bay's last 14 games as a favorite including 4-1 in the last five as a road favorite.

I could be very wrong again come late Friday night but I think we see a more defensive battle with two of the best goalies in the entire NHL.

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Moneyline: Lightning (-130)

Even with the Game 1 drubbing, it should be no surprise that the Lightning are the favorites on Tipico Sportsbook. Tampa Bay has responded time and time again over the last two-and-a-half postseasons with no back-to-back losses over that stretch.

The Lightning have won nine of their last 10 Game 2's and are 4-0 on the road in those such games.

If you believe the Rangers will buck the trend and take a 2-0 series lead, I would point you in the direction of New York to win in regulation at +165 on Tipico Sportsbook. The two teams have combined to only go to overtime four times this postseason in 25 games.

As great as it would be to jump out to a huge lead against the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, I think the Rangers' will get the Bolts' best effort Friday night and come up just short at MSG.

I'm taking Tampa Bay on the moneyline (-130), to cover the -1.5 puck line (+180) and the under 5.5 total goals at Tipico Sportsbook.

Prediction: Lightning 3, Rangers 1

For all the latest odds and prices for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, go to Tipico Sportsbook.

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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Game 2 odds, picks