Lightning at Rangers
The New York Rangers are playing some of their best hockey of the season and look to extend their five-game point streak when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The Rangers have gone 8-2-1 in their last 11 games and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is beginning to raise his game with only one regulation loss in his last seven starts. The Lightning could have Ben Bishop, who has a league-leading .935 save percentage, back in net after he missed four straight games with a sprained right wrist.
Tampa Bay won seven of eight road games before letting a lead get away in the third period in a 3-2 loss at Columbus on Monday, but it owns a 4-1-1 record in the second of back-to-back games. The only loss in those contests was a 4-3 defeat against New York on Dec. 29, when the Lightning registered 40 shots on goal. The Lightning are 4-4-1 since posting a five-game winning streak.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), MSG 2 (New York)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (27-15-4): The Lightning have struggled killing penalties of late, allowing eight power-play goals in the last five games and yielding three to the Rangers in last month's meeting. Matt Carle carries a seven-game point streak into Tuesday's game and fellow defenseman Victor Hedman scored his ninth goal Monday, extending his career high. Captain Martin St. Louis leads the team with 20 goals and 43 points while Valtteri Filppula has collected 16 points in his last 14 games.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (24-20-3): Brad Richards, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy after the Lightning's Stanley Cup run in 2004, enters the game against his former team with seven points in his last five contests. Richards leads a balanced offense with 34 points overall while the surprising Mats Zuccarello has chipped in with 33, including three against the Lightning last month. Rick Nash has picked it up after being named to the Canadian Olympic team with four goals in his past four contests.
OVERTIME
1. Rangers captain Ryan Callahan collected four points and has a plus-4 rating in the six games since returning from a knee injury.
2. St. Louis is tied with injured New Jersey F Patrik Elias for 88th on the all-time list with 955 career points.
3. New York is 19-2-1 when scoring first – the third-best percentage in the league – while Tampa Bay is 18-3-1.