New York Rangers to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning for Season Opener

Hockey fans across the country have been excitedly anticipating the official start of the 2022-2023 NHL season, which starts this upcoming Tuesday, October 11th. The New York Rangers will be taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning as the season opener not just for the teams, but for the entire league.

The Rangers last took on the Lightning during the 2022 Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers lost the conference to the Lightning during game six, with a score of 2-1. After winning the first two games of the conference, Rangers fans were disappointed to see their team exit the playoffs.

This poses a question for hockey fans: Will the Rangers redeem themselves following the results of the Eastern Conference Finals?

Looking back over the years, the Rangers and the Lightning have ultimately been neck and neck when facing off against each other. During the 1990s, the Rangers had a win percentage of 51.6 against the Lightning. The Rangers had a win percentage of 55.6% in the 2000s, a 42.5% during the 2010s, and currently have a 54.5%. For the most part, the team has held their own against the Lightning.

But the Lightning have something to prove too. The back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions lost their chance at a “Three-peat” winning the cup against the Colorado Avalanche back in June. So, the Bolts now have the goal of showing that they are still a force in the league.

Will the New York Rangers be able to redeem themselves following the results of last season’s Eastern Conference Final? Or will the Tampa Bay Lightning pull forward and show that their loss in June didn’t shake them? With either result, this game will be one that fans of the NHL will be watching closely as it kicks off a brand new season of hockey.

Game percentage stats courtesy of MCubed.Net (http://mcubed.net/nhl/nyr/tb.shtml).

Graphics courtesy of nhl.com and msg.com.