New York closes the regular season on the road in Tampa with the Lightning still playing for playoff positioning, while the Rangers are already out of the picture.
Tampa Bay is a modest home favorite on the moneyline (-118), with New York at -102. The market is also shading to the Over 5.5 at -138.
The records show the gap: Tampa Bay enters at 50-25-6 (106 points), while the Rangers are 33-39-9 (75 points).
Odds & Game Info
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:10 PM ET at Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, FL). Odds below are from BetAnything. Odds as of 10:02 AM ET on April 15, 2026.
| Market | New York Rangers | Tampa Bay Lightning |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | -102 | -118 |
| Puck line | +1.5 (-250) | -1.5 (+198) |
| Total | Over 5.5 (-138) | Under 5.5 (+112) | |
Expected goalie note (not officially confirmed as of this morning): Tampa Bay has Andrei Vasilevskiy listed in pregame lineup notes; New York’s starter has not been confirmed.
Injuries to monitor:
- Rangers: Urho Vaakanainen (upper body) out; Matt Rempe (thumb) out for season.
- Lightning: Jonas Johansson (undisclosed) day-to-day; Brandon Hagel (lower body) day-to-day; Darren Raddysh (undisclosed) day-to-day; Pontus Holmberg (upper body) out; Victor Hedman (personal) out; Dominic James (leg) out; Maxwell Crozier (abdomen) out.
Team Records
This table covers overall form and current betting results.
| Team | Record | Last 10 | ATS | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Rangers | 33-39-9 | 5-5-0 | 42-39 | 36-43 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 50-25-6 | 6-4-0 | 41-40 | 41-35 |
Home/road split snapshot: Tampa Bay is 26-13-1 at home; New York is 19-19-2 on the road.
Team Stats
This table highlights the scoring and special teams profile for both clubs.
| Team | Goals per game | Goals allowed per game | Power play % | Penalty kill % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Rangers | 2.90 | 3.04 | 24.9% | 79.3% |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 3.51 | 2.78 | 21.0% | 82.7% |
Shot volume (per game): New York is at 25.3 SOG for and 29.1 SOG against; Tampa Bay is at 28.1 SOG for and 26.8 SOG against.
Team Stats reference: https://www.nhldb.com/stats
Recaps
New York Rangers
New York has dropped three straight, including a 3-2 home loss to Florida on April 13 where Jonathan Quick allowed 3 goals on 16 shots. Two days earlier (April 11), the Rangers were shut out 2-0 at Dallas, with Igor Shesterkin allowing 1 goal on 18 shots in that loss.
The season-long profile explains the volatility: low shot creation (25.3 SOG/G) and a negative goal differential (234 GF, 248 GA) leaves little margin when they are not winning special teams.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay beat Detroit 4-3 in overtime on April 13, with Andrei Vasilevskiy stopping 30 of 33. On April 11, the Lightning won 2-1 at Boston with Vasilevskiy allowing 1 goal on 21 shots.
Tampa Bay’s baseline is strong on both ends: 3.51 goals per game with 2.78 allowed, plus a +61 goal differential (288 GF, 227 GA) that has traveled well all season.
Matchup Keys
- Shot volume points to Tampa Bay territorial edge: Lightning 28.1 SOG/G for and 26.8 against vs Rangers 25.3 for and 29.1 against.
- Scoring gap is meaningful: Tampa Bay 3.51 GF/G vs New York 2.90 GF/G.
- Special teams is a real swing factor: Rangers PP 24.9% vs Lightning PK 82.7%.
- Faceoffs favor New York (54.4% vs 47.4%), which can help the Rangers steal possessions and reduce time defending.
- Schedule spot: both last played April 13, but New York travels into Tampa while the Lightning stay home.
Betting Trends
- Tampa Bay is 26-13-1 at home this season.
- New York is 19-19-2 on the road this season.
- Tampa Bay is 6-4-0 in its last 10 games.
- New York is 5-5-0 in its last 10 games.
- Lightning goal differential: +61 (288 GF, 227 GA).
- Rangers goal differential: -14 (234 GF, 248 GA).
- Rangers puck line record: 42-39.
- Lightning puck line record: 41-40.
- Rangers O/U: 36-43 (more Unders than Overs).
- Lightning O/U: 41-35 (more Overs than Unders).
Best Bet
Tampa Bay Lightning moneyline (-118).
Tampa Bay’s profile is simply cleaner: more scoring (3.51 GF/G), fewer goals allowed (2.78 GA/G), and a clear shot share advantage on paper (28.1 SOG/G for vs 26.8 against). New York’s path is narrower because the Rangers generate only 25.3 shots per game and allow 29.1, so they often need special teams or elite goaltending to swing results. With Tampa at home (26-13-1) and New York traveling, the moneyline price is still playable.
Predicted Score
Our computer projections model for this matchup predicts a final score of Lightning 4, Rangers 3
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