Hayes, McIlrath Scratches As Rangers Take On Bolts
Nov 19, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) and New York Rangers right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) gets tangled up during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
New York Rangers defenseman Dylan McIlrath and struggling forward Kevin Hayes will be healthy scratches tonight as the Blueshirts (20-13-4) take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-15-4) at 8:00EST on national TV (NBCSN) in Tampa Bay. Bolts forward Jonathan Drouin makes his return to the lineup tonight.
“I think Kevin has had an extra-long leash, but there’s just nothing going on,” Vigneault told the Rangers’ website Tuesday. “At the end of the day we’re at the point now where we have to make some decisions in the best interest of the team.”
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The last time these two teams met, the Rangers were 14-2-2 and in a 3-way tie for first place in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars with 30 points. The Rangers had won 9 in a row while Tampa Bay was 8-9-3 and 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, good for 19 points and 5th in the Atlantic division. The Lightning ended up winning that game 2-1, as Valterri Filppula scored on a shorthanded goal with 1:05 remaining in regulation.
Since the loss, the Rangers have went 6-10-2 and dropped to 3rd in the Metropolitan division with 44 points, 1 behind the New York Islanders (45), and 12 behind the red-hot Washington Capitals (56). The Lightning, however, have fared better, going 9-6-1 since the last meeting, however dropping to 6th in the Atlantic division due to surges by the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers.
The Rangers have the worst road record in the Eastern Conference (6-8-3) but the Lightning have been relatively average at home this season (9-7-2). However Amalie Arena is never an easy place for the visitors to play, so the Rangers shouldn’t read too much into the stat and simply worry about simplifying their game and preventing defensive lapses, something that has plagued the Blueshirts for the past month and a half.
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Probably the most telling stat for the Lightning is the Steven Stamkos has only 28 points in 37 games, which leads the team. Pretty much every other hockey player in the NHL would be thrilled with stats like that, but the Bolts need more from the former 1st overall pick. Mats Zuccarello has 30 points in 37 games played this season, leading the Rangers. Derick Brassard comes in second with 28. As good as Zuccarello and Brassard are, not too many people predicted Zuccarello to have more points than Steven Stamkos two days before 2016.
J.T. Miller has been moved up to the Rangers’ first line as he’ll play on a line with Brassard and Zuccarello. Rick Nash will drop down to the second and play with Derek Stepan and Jesper Fast. Henrik Lundqvist is expected to start tonight for the Rangers, and Ben Bishop gets the nod for Tampa Bay.
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Tampa Bay has won 5 straight regular season games against the Rangers, all in regulation. The Blueshirts hope to snap the skid against the Bolts and their recent struggles with a win tonight and get something to build on for their next game on January 2 against the scorching Florida Panthers.