Lightning at Rangers
The Tampa Bay Lightning have dropped to second place in the Atlantic Division for the first time since October but try to regain the top spot Friday, when they visit the New York Rangers. Boston, which has played one fewer game and is idle on Friday, lead the division by one point after posting a 4-2 victory on Thursday over the Lightning, who have lost five of their last eight contests.
Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman registered a goal and an assist in Thursday’s setback while J.T. Miller netted his eighth tally in 14 games since being acquired from the Rangers in a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline. The Lightning are 5-5-1 in the second game of back-to-back sets in 2017-18 after winning their last two and attempt to capture the season series against the Rangers, who will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2009-10. New York has lost five of its last six (1-3-2) after coughing up a lead with 1:05 remaining in the third period and losing 3-2 in overtime at Washington on Wednesday. “So frustrating,” Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist told reporters. “When you’re tied up that late after playing so hard and doing so many good things, it doesn’t matter where you are in the standings, you want to win games.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet, TVA, FS Florida (Tampa Bay), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (51-22-4): Nikita Kucherov was limited to one shot on Thursday but recorded an assist to move within three of the first career 100-point season. Captain Steven Stamkos also registered only one shot after missing the previous contest with a lower-body injury and is mired in a 10-game goal-scoring drought despite registering 86 points overall. Ryan Callahan (upper body) is close to returning to the lineup after missing the last four games, while Adam Erne (lower body) did not play Thursday and is out indefinitely.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (33-35-9): Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, who both were selected in the first round of last year's draft, have made an impact in their first two games since being recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League. Andersson recorded one goal, one assist and a plus-2 rating in the home-and-home series against Washington while Chytil, who also appeared in two contests in October, notched an assist in Monday’s loss to the Capitals. Mika Zibanejad has been kept off the scoresheet in his last two games after scoring seven times in the previous five contests to increase his career-high total to 27 goals.
OVERTIME
1. New York C Vladislav Namestnikov has recorded two goals and an assist in 14 games since being acquired from the Lightning in the deadline deal.
2. Hedman needs one goal to match the career high of 16 he set last season and is two shy of his second straight 60-point campaign.
3. The Rangers have won five of the last seven meetings, including a split of two contests in Tampa Bay earlier this season.