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Injuries Plague Lightning, Rangers Face Back-to-Back Test

TAMPA, FL (2:00 PM ET) – The Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers face off this afternoon in a matchup complicated by significant injuries on the Lightning side and a back-to-back situation for the Rangers.

The Lightning are dealing with a slew of injured veterans, including defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak, as well as star center Brayden Point. All four missed Friday’s 6-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings, and their status for today’s game remains uncertain as the team did not hold a morning skate. Jonas Johansson is projected to start in goal for the Lightning, potentially giving Andrei Vasilevskiy a rest after his 33-save performance in Detroit.

The Rangers, fresh off a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins last night, are also dealing with injury issues. Goalie Jonathan Quick is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, sidelining him for his third straight game. This could lead to Dylan Garand making his NHL debut or Igor Shesterkin starting in goal for the second straight day. Will Borgen (upper body) and Matt Rempe (upper body) are also out. Like the Lightning, the Rangers opted out of a morning skate due to the back-to-back games and early start time.

Here are the projected lineups:

Lightning:

  • Forwards: Hagel-Cirelli-Kucherov, Guentzel-Paul-Goncalves, Girgensons-Gourde-Holmberg, James-Douglas-Bjorkstrand
  • Defense: Moser-Raddysh, D’Astous-Lilleberg, Carlile-Santini
  • Goalies: Johansson, Vasilevskiy

Rangers:

  • Forwards: Miller-Zibanejad-Lafreniere, Panarin-Trocheck-Cuylle, Berard-Laba-Brodzinski, Edstrom-Carrick-Taylor Raddysh
  • Defense: Gavrikov-Fox, Soucy-Schneider, Robertson-Morrow
  • Goalies: Shesterkin, Garand

The game promises to be a test of depth for both teams as they navigate their respective challenges. Tune in to The Spot, NHLN, MSG, and SN1 at 2 PM ET to catch the action.

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