It's Opening Night! What to watch in Rangers-Lightning, Kings-Knights

The 2022-23 NHL regular play has yet arrived, with an opening nighttime doubleheader connected ESPN and ESPN+.

Tuesday's enactment includes a rematch of the 2022 Eastern Conference finals betwixt the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers (7:30 p.m. ET), and a nightcap betwixt the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings.

Before you get settled in, drawback up connected storylines to monitor, players worthy tracking and what questions inactive request answers.

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Tampa Bay Lightning astatine New York Rangers

7:30 p.m. ET | Watch unrecorded connected ESPN+
Line: New York -115 | Over/under: 5.5

The past clip these teams met was 4 months agone to the day: Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals astatine Amalie Arena. The Rangers were warring to enactment live aft blowing a 2-0 bid lead. New York won those 2 archetypal games by a combined people of 9-4. They netted 4 goals successful the 3 games that followed. The Rangers had to stave disconnected elimination to instrumentality the Lightning backmost home, but Game 7 would ne'er come. New York mislaid 2-1 that nighttime successful Tampa, and the Lightning precocious to their 3rd consecutive Stanley Cup Final.

The drama? We're present for it. And this crippled volition besides diagnostic 2 of the league's top-tier netminders successful Russian countrymen Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin.

New York yet has Tampa backmost successful their gathering to motorboat the NHL regular play into precocious gear. Will revenge beryllium connected the opening nighttime menu?

Lightning
ESPN Power Rankings: 7th
2021-22 results: 51-23-8 (110 points), mislaid successful Stanley Cup Final
Stanley Cup odds: + 1,000

Dawn of a caller era: Tampa has been the NHL's golden modular successful caller years, earning back-to-back Stanley Cups and astir completing a three-peat past outpouring earlier falling successful six games to the Colorado Avalanche. The Lightning couldn't support the full set together, though: Ondrej Palat near successful escaped bureau and Ryan McDonagh was traded to Nashville. That leaves large voids -- connected and disconnected the crystal -- for Tampa to fill. It besides presents cardinal opportunities for different players to get involved.

Vladislav Namestnikov -- who signed a one-year, $2.5 cardinal escaped cause woody successful July -- finished Tampa Bay's preseason with a chapeau instrumentality successful the Lightning's lone accumulation victory. Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul task to gain much violative responsibility, too. And Mikhail Sergachev, who conscionable signed an eight-year, $68 cardinal extension, volition beryllium spotlighted connected the backmost extremity (where Zach Bogosian volition beryllium missed arsenic helium recovers from offseason enarthrosis surgery). It'll beryllium fascinating to spot however the pieces acceptable together.

Soaring Steven Stamkos: The Lightning skipper is coming disconnected a career-best play successful which helium exceeded the 100-point people for the archetypal clip ever (106). Not atrocious for a 32-year-old, right? So tin Stamkos transmission that vigor into this caller season? Tampa manager Jon Cooper talked astir Stamkos playing with a "free spirit" and a "free mind," which aided his wide production. There was thing to clasp him back. Tampa Bay needs much of that show now, due to the fact that the Lightning discourtesy mightiness beryllium successful flux for a fewer weeks portion Anthony Cirelli continues rehabbing from his summertime enarthrosis surgery.

Stamkos is versatile and consistent, and picking up wherever helium near disconnected past play would beryllium a large boon to get the Lightning connected a roll.

Is Brayden Point back? Point injured a quadriceps musculus successful Game 7 of the Lightning's first-round playoff bid against Toronto past spring. He didn't play again until Game 1 of the Cup Final, was pulled from Game 2, and would not formal again. Point's assemblage wasn't wherever it needed to be, and the Lightning suffered without 1 of their astir dynamic playmakers.

Having Point backmost to commencement the play is crucial. He utilized the accumulation docket to get his skating backmost up to velocity and reconstruct assurance post-injury by getting progressive on the boards and astir the net. That's wherever Tampa Bay volition privation to spot him -- and often -- against the Rangers.

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3:38

Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy talks with John Buccigross astir being denied a three-peat astatine the hands of the Avalanche and Russia producing unthinkable NHL goalies.

Rangers
ESPN Power Rankings: 5th
2021-22 results: 52-24-6 (110 points), mislaid successful Eastern Conference finals
Stanley Cup odds: + 1,500

Back successful the saddle: How overmuch the Rangers' league finals nonaccomplishment to Tampa Bay inactive stings should beryllium evident early. It's earthy for New York to carnivore a spot connected its enarthrosis aft however that bid unfurled. Now those emotions tin resurface. What mightiness it bash for the tenor of this NHL opener?

New York was yet outplayed months agone by a amended team. The Rangers mightiness person overachieved by reaching that point. But it's hard to deliberation of New York arsenic immoderate benignant of underdog close now. The Rangers person the endowment -- some established and up-and-coming -- to propulsion teams similar Tampa Bay. Does that vigor travel done successful Game 1?

Climbing Kaapo Kakko: New York appears to person a rising prima acceptable to soar successful Kakko. The 21-year-old played his last 2 preseason games connected the Rangers' apical enactment with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, and helium looked similar helium belonged. Like, scored 3 goals successful 2 games and oozed assurance portion doing it, belonged.

Does the "it's lone exhibition" caveat apply? Sure. But Kakko's beardown wide campy shouldn't beryllium discounted. He was arsenic coagulated playing connected New York's aptly named Kid Line successful the postseason with Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil. That versatility gives manager Gerard Gallant country to maneuver arsenic the play gets going. And seeing Kakko commencement his ascent toward a breakout play Tuesday nighttime wouldn't wounded the Rangers' lineup.

Tracking Trocheck: The Rangers didn't acquisition immoderate immense makeover betwixt meetings with the Lightning. New York mislaid a fewer pieces from that springtime tally -- including Andrew Copp, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano -- and took 1 large plaything of their own, signing seasoned guardant Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year, $39.375 cardinal deal. Trocheck's modulation to the Big Apple hasn't been wholly seamless. He's slotted into Strome's aged spot alongside Artemi Panarin, and the caller teammates' timing hasn't wholly travel together.

Trocheck is figuring retired a caller strategy for the archetypal clip successful 3 years and besides attempting to support up with New York's perennial starring scorer successful Panarin. Given the concern the Rangers made successful Trocheck, they'll privation to support the experimentation going -- ideally with amended results erstwhile the games number successful the standings.

Vegas Golden Knights astatine Los Angeles Kings

10 p.m. ET | Watch unrecorded connected ESPN+
Line: Los Angeles -115 | Over/under: 6

If opposites attract, past the Golden Knights and Kings would beryllium a cleanable match.

The Golden Knights are a veteran-laden, salary-cap-strapped squad successful win-now mode contempt missing the playoffs past season. The Kings are youthful, breathtaking and maturing earlier our eyes aft pushing their mode into a postseason berth past May and taking the Edmonton Oilers to 7 games successful the archetypal round.

The Pacific Division contention volition beryllium tougher than ever with the Calgary Flames going all-in this offseason and the Vancouver Canucks pushing to regain their postseason form. What benignant of preview volition Vegas and L.A. connection of what this play holds for them?

Golden Knights
ESPN Power Rankings: 15th
2021-22 results: 43-31-8 (94 points), missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: + 1,800

All eyes connected Eichel: The Golden Knights haven't seen the champion of Jack Eichel yet. Vegas acquired Eichel via commercialized from the Buffalo Sabres successful November, and pursuing cervix country aboriginal that month, the 25-year-old made his black-and-gold debut successful February. Eichel had a respectable extremity to the play with 14 goals and 25 points successful 34 games, but it wasn't capable to single-handedly prevention Vegas from floundering to the finish.

What interaction tin a steadfast offseason person connected Eichel successful Year 2? He already enactment unneurotic a terrific preseason performance, registering 9 points successful 3 games. Vegas has to anticipation that's a motion of things to come. And Eichel, who has ne'er played successful a postseason game, should beryllium reasoning the same.

Newbie successful net: Vegas wasn't expecting incumbent starting goaltender Robin Lehner to necessitate hep country that would sideline him the full season. But them's the breaks. The question past became whether seasoned Laurent Brossoit oregon up-and-comer Logan Thompson would beryllium Lehner's replacement.

Well, Brossoit had hep surgery, too, leaving manager Bruce Cassidy to shuffle betwixt Thompson and Adin Hill. It has been Thompson's nett to lose. The 25-year-old volition instrumentality what helium learned from backing up Lehner past play (when helium went 10-5-3 with a .914 prevention percent and 2.68 goals-against average) and use it to the nightly gig. Who knows what mightiness hap erstwhile Brossoit is back, but for present the spotlight rests solely connected Thompson.

Betting connected Bruce: Speaking of newbies, Cassidy is one, too. He came connected committee successful the offseason aft being fired by Boston, and is the 3rd manager these Golden Knights person had since their inception successful 2017-18. What benignant of tricks does Cassidy person up his sleeve to steer Vegas backmost toward the playoffs? The Golden Knights' wage headdress issues person been good documented, and they mislaid the likes of Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov due to the fact that of them. But determination is inactive a coagulated good of endowment successful Vegas' ranks. It's connected Cassidy to maximize what's available.

That volition beryllium particularly challenging connected the antiaircraft broadside for Vegas, wherever over-30s Alex Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez, positive Shea Theodore (27), item the team's back-end core. Vegas has nary clip to discarded turning things around, putting unit connected Cassidy from Game 1.

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1:52

Greg Wyshynski takes fans done the chaos of the NHL offseason, which had everything from blockbuster trades to grounds extensions.

Kings
ESPN Power Rankings: 18th
2021-22 results: 44-27-11 (99 points), mislaid successful archetypal round
Stanley Cup odds: + 2,500

Fiala fever: The Kings had their struggles scoring goals past season, averaging conscionable 2.87 per crippled done top-heavy contributions from mostly Adrian Kempe (35 goals), Phillip Danault (27), Viktor Arvidsson (20) and Anze Kopitar (19). How does a squad amended its extent successful that department? Trades, baby.

Los Angeles acquired Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild successful June and instantly signed the guardant -- caller disconnected a 33-goal play -- to a seven-year, $55 cardinal contract. Fiala has been a accordant menace for overmuch of his vocation and should beryllium a firecracker for the Kings up front. He acceptable successful good during the preseason, and showed sparks of chemistry, particularly with Kempe. Fiala volition beryllium counted connected adjacent much erstwhile there's existent points up for grabs.

Growing their games: Los Angeles has been lauded for its imaginable extent and good postulation of young talent. Mikey Anderson and Sean Durzi are the latter. Both blueliners task to play important roles for L.A. defensively this play aft showing terrific maturation and maturation passim the past year.

Anderson is an effectual stay-at-home defender who has been a large complement to Drew Doughty connected the Kings' apical pairing. Durzi returned aboriginal successful the preseason pursuing offseason enarthrosis surgery, and has earned clip betwixt the Kings' 2nd and 3rd units. He should besides capable a sizable slot connected L.A.'s powerfulness play aft excelling determination past season. The Kings person agelong valued a hard-hitting, carnal defense, and some Anderson and Durzi tin bring that with a broadside of accomplishment and creativity. And astatine lone 23 years old, these skaters person conscionable begun to amusement disconnected their afloat potential.

Keep up with Quick: Jonathan Quick has been counted retired before. The 36-year-old goaltender continues proving the doubters wrong. Quick helped transportation Los Angeles into the playoffs past play with a 12-3-3 propulsion to the finish. Once there, the seasoned gave his nine each accidental to get past Edmonton successful the archetypal round, with a .904 prevention percent implicit 7 games.

What much does Quick person successful the vessel this season? Only a fewer players stay for Los Angeles from their Cup-winning teams successful 2012 and 2014. Quick was an integral portion of those runs and has maintained a precocious level of play since, adjacent portion Los Angeles has undergone appreciable turnover. If the Kings mean to situation for a top-three spot successful the Pacific, they'll request the close goalie to trust on. Quick tin rapidly amusement he's inactive up for the job.