NY Rangers Have Owned Recent Meetings With Lightning

The New York Rangers have experienced a ton of success against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Apr 15, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (8) controls the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026-27 NHL regular season opener didn’t go the New York Rangers’ way, losing 3-0 on the road to the Boston Bruins.

Now, they are returning home for the opener at Madison Square Garden and will be taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning. There is some pressure on the team to get off to a better start on home ice after the 2025-26 season was a disaster out of the gate.

The Rangers lost their first seven games at home last season, picking up a victory for the first time on Nov. 10 against the Nashville Predators. Goals were hard to come by, getting shut out five times in those first seven games at MSG.

That is something New York will be looking to avoid a repeat of this season, and the Lightning are the perfect opponent for the Rangers to change their tune against. That is because New York has had Tampa Bay’s number in recent meetings.

Rangers have dominated Lightning in recent matchups

Nov 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) and New York Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson (29) battle for control of the puck in the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Madison Square Garden has proven to be a difficult place for the Lightning to play. Over the last nine games at the World’s Most Famous Arena, the Rangers have managed to earn at least one point in seven of them.

Over the last 18 games overall that the teams have faced off, New York has earned at least one point in 13 of them, winning 11 times.

In three meetings last season, the Rangers went 2-1-0. They won 7-3 in the first game of the campaign against each other on the road at Benchmark International Arena. In Game 2, Tampa Bay evened the season series up, winning 4-1 at MSG.

The third and final meeting between the teams came in the regular season finale, with New York coming away victorious, 4-2.

Rangers need hot start against Lightning

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after an 8-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What makes this recent success against the Lightning all the more impressive is that they have consistently been a playoff team. Tampa Bay has qualified for the postseason in nine consecutive years with two Stanley Cup titles.

The Rangers won the Presidents’ Cup for the 2023-24 season and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, but they haven’t sniffed the playoffs in the last two years, finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference this past season.

That hasn’t stopped them from finding success against one of the most consistently productive franchises in the NHL over the last decade. Hopefully, that success continues because New York needs better production on their home ice if they want to move up the standings in the 2026-27 season.