Game #77: Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers Open Thread

The New York Rangers' playoff hopes are officially on life support.

The past weekend was about as unkind to the Blueshirts' playoff chances as it possibly could have been. New York came out lifeless on Saturday afternoon and suffered a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the New Jersey Devils, and the Montreal Canadiens won later that night to put more distance between the the teams in the hunt for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

A Sunday night comeback victory for Montreal widened the gap further, and New York now trails Montreal by six points (with one game in hand being played tonight) with six games remaining. An old nemesis will look to drive another dagger into the Rangers tonight as the Tampa Bay Lightning come to town. With time running out on the Blueshirts' bid to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, a loss tonight would all but mathematically eliminate Peter Laviolette's squad.

Player to Watch: Matt Rempe

After being labeled "week-to-week" with an injury and missing four games as a result, Rempe is expected to draw back into the lineup for tonight's matchup against the Lightning. Keep an eye on Rempe tonight as he looks to make his presence felt in what is, for all intents and purposes, a do-or-die game for the Rangers.

Enjoy the game!