Eastern Conference Final Schedule for Rangers and Tampa Bay

[chuckd3534]

The schedule for the Rangers/Lightning Eastern Conference Final is:

• Game 1: Saturday May 16th at 1PM (NBC)
• Game 2: Monday May 18th at 8PM (NBCSN)
• Game 3: Wednesday May 20th at 8PM (NBCSN)
• Game 4: Friday May 22nd at 8PM (NBCSN)
• Game 5: Sunday May 24th at 8PM (NBCSN)
• Game 6: Tuesday May 26th at 8PM (NBCSN)
• Game 7: Friday May 29th at 8PM (NBCSN)

 

[chuckd3534]

RANGERS IN 7!!!

So happy to be done with the Caps. TB presents a whole new bunch of challenges, but just happy to not be playing the Caps anymore. Tired of them...LOL.

 

[chuckd3534]

I have been pretty good at predicting Rangers series the past two playoffs.

Flyers...had us in 7...won in 7.
Pens...had us in 6...won in 7 (off a game).
Habs...had us in 6...won in 6.
Kings...didn't make a prediction...figured it would be tough for us.

Pens...had us in 5...won in 5.
Caps...had us in 7...won in 7 (didn't see down 3-1 to win in 7...but said 7...).

So now as I look at this series I will say NYR in 7. Very similar teams. TB I think has more high end talent upfront, but we are deeper upfront. I know we are deeper on D. And Hank over Bishop for sure (Bishop 13 career playoff games all this season). And as a team we have way more playoff experience, and we have home ice.

Add it all up and I think we find a way, and winning in 6 isn't out of the question if Bishop falters at all, but I stay with 7 because I respect their upfront talent a lot.

If we are sitting here in two weeks and the Bolts have won the series I think we'll be saying wow Bishop was just a wall and was stopping everything. I think he has to be VERY VERY good for them to beat us. And watching him against the Wings and Habs he played really well, but he also let in 4 or 5 real soft goals combined in the two series. Against us he cannot afford to do that or they will lose. So that is why I edge us in 7.

Should be a real fun series, a way different series than the Caps series (I am happy for that). Should be some O and exciting play. Looking forward to some more open hockey.

 

[papadoc080]

I think this could be a short series. 5 Games. I live in Florida now and watch Lightning games every night while watching the Rangers on the Computer.
Bishop has been very shakey. It will be a quick series if he is shakey against us. This is the perfect series for Rick Nash. Paging Nash. If he doesn't score
multiple goals in this series, he never will. It will be interesting if playing Tampa wakes MSL up. We will truly find out if he has anything left or if he is done.
Hank will be Hank. And we will Win.

I will be more nervous about playing the Lightning in a Game 7 than I was going into last night because the Lightning can score. And in a Game 7 I don't want our guys to have to play a shootout. Not good for us. Still say we would win but don't want to get there.

 

[chuckd3534]

Good points papa. I don't think you are crazy on your call of 5 games, I do think we'll find it a little "easier" against the Bolts than we did against the Caps. I go 7 (with a chance of 6 if Bishop struggles) just because I do respect those top two lines for TB a lot.

I for sure agree on Bishop. He played really well overall, but he let up a couple of real soft goals against the Wings and Habs, and if he does that against us they will lose. He has played really well against us in his career though, so it will be an interesting watch.

 

[NYR31]

The TB series should be more exciting to watch from an offense standpoint. The Caps basically had Ov's line and not much else, while the Lightning have more scoring depth. In 12gms we have no one with more than 8 points, while the Lightning have 3 players with more than 10pts in 13gms.

It's unfortunate Cally is out for a while. I would have enjoyed seeing him play in the series.

 

[chuckd3534]

Cally is practicing. I expect him to play. If not game 1, real soon, and I bet game 1.


Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Callahan was on the ice for practice Thursday, three days after having an emergency appendectomy.

He is wearing the same color jersey as other forwards, rather than a non-contact jersey.

Callahan was hospitalized Monday because of acute appendicitis. He was released from the hospital Tuesday morning.

 

[Messiah717]

Would love to see MZ get back in the lineup.

 

[chuckd3534]

11:13AM: Jon Cooper says he doesn’t know if Callahan will play on Saturday but didn’t rule out that he wouldn’t. (Smith)


5/14/15 | 7:25AM: Nick Kypreos says that he thinks there is a chance the Rangers will have Zuccarello back for the Conference Final. (590)
Zucc was at the game last night.

Alain Vigneault said last night that Zuccarello is “coming along.”

 

[chuckd3534]

100% my opinion, but I bet Zucc plays in the series. Maybe game 3 or 4 depending on the situation (up 2-1...down 2-1...other).

Game 3 is 6 days from now, game 4 is 8 days from now.

He is at games, he is traveling, he is riding the bike, now we wait to see when he gets on ice (most likely non-contact jersey). Then a few days later he'll play.

If this goes at least 6 I think we see Zucc for sure, assuming no setback of course, and maybe game 3 or 4 as I said.

 

[papadoc080]

Zucc has been at the last 3 Games including Game 6 in Washington. He was in the locker room after the game

 

[strudwickisthebest]

I wonder who they scratch? Sheppard and Glass are playing well but if I had to guess it would be Sheppard.... I don't think AV is the type of coach to scratch MSL

 

[strudwickisthebest]

I think Rangers on 6

 

[kreidertime]

Remember the days where the Rangers lost almost every game that went to OT. Now they seem to have it figured out.

 

[Ranger71]

Stralman is doing his best to play the underdog role by saying the Rangers are the favorite. Not buying it, especially when they pretty much dominated the reg.season stuff.

 

[cagedlion]

Callahan guarantee will be on ice Game 1. This is it......
for him....and has been a thorn in Rangers. The "Triplett
Line" will be a force and of course Stamkos. Don't
underestimate Bishop. Many of us have said he has the
Rangers' number. Conference Final is a whole new
hockey game. It will be exciting and I'm hoping for 4 wins.

 

[chuckd3534]

The Rangers are the favorite in this series. Once again doesn't mean they will win for sure, or it won't be a razor close series, but the Rangers are the favs.

 

[cagedlion]

When Stralman was with Rangers, I don't ever recall
him as a media quote...Hmmmm. Must be all that
extra income he's making. lol

 

[Ranger71]

Sure, they're the favs, then they'll be down 3-1 again and everyone will be saying "How could the Rangers have been favored, the Lightning are just as good?" There really are no favorites at this point, unless you care about a 10 pt reg season point gap.

 

[chuckd3534]

Certainly possible. Being favorite means sh*t really. But that doesn't mean that as you start a series there isn't a favorite, because there is, and in this series that favorite is us. Not some huge dominant fav, but a fav none the less.

 

[cagedlion]

SC Playoffs = Forget the Regular Season.

 

[kreidertime]

It would be wise for AV to tell his players to play much more conservatively on offense with his system vs. Tampa. They are much more high powered than most teams on offense which is why they lit the Rangers up during the season. I think they should always have three to four guys back and counter punch in this series.

 

[Pastafazul]

That was some series, the caps played their hearts out, most likely rangers won't see that physical play rest of year.

although the defense of the lighting, have huge defenseman, rangers speed should get around them.

lightning offense is electric so I doubt we will be seeing girardi pinching in,
This is going to be a great series !

 

[Rangers94]

If Tampa wins, they have to do it in 6 or less because we'll win a game 7. I think we win this in 6, and the Hawks win in 6 as well. Goalie matchup out west is interesting because none have been great and both teams are high scoring teams. Gonna be a fun conference finals for everyone.

 

[strudwickisthebest]

We need players to step up on offense like the last two series.

Pitt = Hags-Hayes-Brassard

caps = Kredier - Stepan - Fast

Need 3 more this series , hopefully it is MSL, Nash , Yandle

 

[BigDaddyAl1973]

Let's not get to cocky with game 7s

 

[chuckd3534]

I'd love to see MSL step up this series. Knowing how TB can score I don't think we win this series if Nash and MSL do nothing. We are going to need more than one goal combined from them in this series.

If anything is going to get MSL going, this series would be it. In theory there will be more room and this series will be more open, which should play to MSL's strengths.

I am hopeful MSL has a good series and can score 3 or 4 goals over the 6 or 7 games. And maybe Nash can get a couple as well. We are going to need that line to score this series, I 100% believe that. And maybe game 5 or 6 we can see Zucc back as well.

Looking forward to this series and maybe a bit more O.

 

[Ranger71]

They need to keep an eye on Hedman, he likes to jump into plays from the backend.

 

[BigDaddyAl1973]

Did I mention how much I hate NYC... No 3rd color man.. This blows