Projected Lineup (subject to change)
Forwards
Steven Stamkos - Anthony Cirelli - Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat - Nick Paul - Alex Killorn
Brandon Hagel - Ross Colton - Corey Perry
Pat Maroon - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Erik Cernak
Ryan McDonagh - Zach Bogosian
Mikhail Sergachev - Cal Foote
Jan Rutta
Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Brian Elliott
Friday's Matchup
The Lightning and the Rangers are playing Game 2 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs... Tampa Bay is 2-0 this postseason in Game 2s and has won its last nine Game 2s going back to the 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinal vs. Boston...The Lightning are 24- 10 all-time in Game 2s...The Bolts are 10-3 all-time in road Game 2s...Tampa Bay is 0-3-1 this season versus New York (regular season and playoffs) and is looking for its first win over the Rangers since a 9-3 blowout victory Nov. 14, 2019 at AMALIE Arena...The Bolts own a 3-2 all-time record in the playoffs at Madison Square Garden and had a three-game win streak in the Garden stopped on Wednesday.
Friday's Storylines
Tampa Bay is 18-0 in games following a loss over the last three postseasons, a streak that started with a win in an opening Round Robin game in the 2020 Playoffs and is the longest-such streak in NHL playoff history, seven more wins than the next highest mark of 11 set by Montreal from 4/11/85 to 5/18/86, the Bolts owning a +36 goal differential over those 18 wins...The Lightning have lost Game 1 of a playoff series four times over the last three postseasons (2020 ECSF vs. BOS, 2020 SCF vs. DAL, 2021 SCSF vs. NYI and 2022 1st Rd. vs. TOR) and went on to win all four series...The Bolts are 11-8 all-time in a playoff series when losing Game 1, including a 3-4 record when starting on the road...The Lightning are looking to avoid starting a series down 0-2 for the first time since the 2019 1st Rd. vs. Columbus, a series in which the Bolts were eventually swept.
Injuries
2021-22 Reg. Season Man Games Lost: 185
2022 Playoff Man Games Lost: 5
Current injuries
Brayden Point (Lower-body injury May 14) 5 Games
Tampa Bay Sports Item of the Game
Lightning vs. Rangers ECF Match-up T-shirt
Gear up for the Eastern Conference Final with this Lightning versus Rangers Match-up Tee. Available in store and online at TampaBaySports.com while supplies last.
The Road Ahead
Game 3: Lightning vs. Rangers, Sunday, June 5
Game 4: Lightning vs. Rangers, Tuesday, June 7
Game 5: Lightning at Rangers, Thursday, June 9 (if necessary)
Game 6: Lightning vs. Rangers, Saturday, June 11 (if necessary)
Game 7: Lightning at Rangers, Tuesday, June 14 (if necessary)
