The Rangers and Lightning meet for a pivotal Game 5 at MSG tonight. Both teams have held serve at home, with New York winning Games 1 and 2 and Tampa taking Games 3 and 4. The wide swings of emotion on both sides has been evident with each fanbase's mindset and heart rate changing according to how each contest has gone. Game 6 will be Saturday night at 8PM at Amalie Arena. 

The series is now a best-of-three. Yes, the argument that if someone told you before the season or series the Rangers would be tied at two games apiece with home ice advantage and a shot to go to ECF you would have been happy is accurate. But only to a certain extent. Because that completely ignores how they landed at this position. On the face of it, yes, it is 2-2, but New York had a 2-0 series and Game 3 lead and now find themselves in a major battle. Feeling disappointed, annoyed, angry, all the ranges of emotion is quite normal, which is why I dislike the argument and view I mentioned to start the paragraph. 

The big question mark heading into the game is the lineup. Ryan Strome, injured in Game 3, skated in warm ups Tuesday but was unable to go. Filip Chytil suffered an upper-body injury on a cross-check to the back by Victor Hedman on Tuesday and missed the third period. To me, seeing how he hits the boards, my first concern was a possible concussion, though that has yet to be reported. Coach Gerard Gallant said yesterday both were game-time decisions, though his tone and manner of speech didn't lend inordinate confidence to both being able to go tonight. Hopefully the team gets lucky, as the second line misses Strome and the third line needs Chytil.

If both can go, one change I would make would be inserting either Dryden Hunt, Jonny Brodzinski or Julien Gauthier for Ryan Reaves. The team overall needs a boost of energy and speed. They looked a little lifeless and sluggish Tuesday and are also getting very little on the forecheck or from Reaves in general. Inserting one of the three would provide a different look and a dash of speed to the final trio, changing the look and jolting the lineup a bit.

Now if both Strome and Chytil can't go, then Gallant has to mix-and-match. In my proposal, two scoring lines still exist and a third that can generate some chances and score. Maybe not to the extent of what exists now, but a reasonable facsimile. The top trio played together during the season as the second. While neither group had great or sustained success, maybe runiting each captures lightning in a bottle. The hope and goal is to win tonight and then maybe get Strome and/or Chytil back for Game 4. I still would still Reaves and go with a new contingent for the fourth line, based on my view above of fresh legs and a different look. 

Kreider-Zibanejad-Lafrenière
Panarin--Copp-Kakko
Motte-Goodrow Vatrano
Hunt-Brodzinksi-Gauthier

We need an Igor Shesterkin Vezina and Hart like performance tonight. While he was not the reason why the team lost Games 3 and 4. he has to be one of the major drivers for a Game 5 victory. New York may need Igor to vastly outplay Andrei Vasilevskiy tonight and put up a performance for the ages to help spur the team to victory.

The contest is not fully a must-win, though it sure feels like one. Given the team's 2-7 record on the road and the way Games 3 and 4 went, having to capture a must win game in Tampa to stay alive against a team who smells a third straight trip to SCF will be a tall task. I am not saying that can't be done, seeing how the Rangers won Game 6 in Pittsburgh, but the goal is to avoid that situation at all costs.

Get the win tonight. Feed off the home crowd. Recapture the magic and style of play from Games 1 and 3. Dictate the pace and force the Lightning to adjust, not the other way. Get the forecheck going and force Vasilevskiy to move across his crease and adjust the cross-ice passing and movement. Find a way to notch the win and shift the pressure to the Lightning for Game 6. Just win baby.

#NoQuitinNY

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