Tampa Bay Lightning face New York Rangers to open 2026-27 NHL season
The Tampa Bay Lightning open their 2026-27 NHL season Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, facing the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Following a 2025-26 campaign that saw the Lightning finish 1-2-0 against the Rangers, the team heads to New York with a historical 54-52-12 record against the franchise.
Roster Adjustments and Line Combinations
Nikita Kucherov, who led the team in scoring against the Rangers last season with three assists in three games, is projected to skate alongside Brayden Point and Ilya Mikheyev. The second line features Brandon Hagel, Jansen Harkins, and Jake Guentzel, while the bottom-six rotation includes newcomers and established veterans like Zemgus Girgensons and Pontus Holmberg.
On the blue line, the defensive pairs include JJ Moser paired with John Carlson, and Victor Hedman skating with Charle-Eduord D’Astous. Andrei Vasilevskiy is slated for the start in goal. Vasilevskiy holds a career record of 7-9-2 against the Rangers with a .908 save percentage, though he struggled against them last season with a .615 save percentage in his lone appearance. Dennis Hildeby serves as the backup, awaiting his first professional action against the New York club.
Kucherov and St. Louis Hold Scoring Records
Last season, the franchise utilized three different goaltenders against New York, with Jonas Johansson posting the only win for the team against the Rangers, recording a .900 save percentage.
Martin St. Louis remains the Lightning’s all-time scoring leader against the Rangers with 46 points in 46 games. Among active players, Kucherov remains the primary offensive catalyst, holding 40 points in 33 career games against the Rangers. The team’s road record at Madison Square Garden stands at 26-30-4, a margin they aim to narrow during this season’s opening road trip.
Broadcast Details and Fan Events Announced
For fans in the Tampa Bay area, the game will be broadcast on The Spot – Tampa Bay 66, with pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Radio listeners can access the broadcast via 102.5 MHz-FM or Lightning Radio 24/7. The organization has also scheduled an official watch party at Sparkman Wharf in Channelside, starting at 6 p.m. today, presented by Cigar City.
The club is managing the logistics of the season launch by offering promotions at TampaBaySports.com, including an "October 1st of the Month" sale with discounts of 50% or more on select merchandise. Following the Thursday matchup, the Lightning return home for a series of games against the Washington Capitals on October 3, the Philadelphia Flyers on October 5, and the Minnesota Wild on October 8.
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