Eastern Conference Final Schedule for Rangers and Tampa Bay

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)

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.”

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

I think Rangers on 6

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.