Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers: Latest Buzz Ahead of Game 7

After six tightly contested games, the Eastern Conference Final of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will come down to a decisive Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking for their first berth in the Stanley Cup Final since 2004, while the New York Rangers are looking to reach their second straight Stanley Cup Final after losing to the Los Angeles Kings last season.

New York center Derick Brassard recorded his first hat trick of the season in Game 6 to give the Rangers a 7-3 victory. The Lightning will have a second chance to clinch the series in a win-or-go-home match in Game 7.

Here is the latest buzz surrounding Game 7 tonight at Madison Square Garden.

High Ticket Prices

One of the most recognizable venues in all of sports is also widely known for having the most expensive tickets.

The current average ticket price for tonight’s game is $925.10, the sixth-highest average NHL game ticket price in the past five years. Ticket sales have dropped approximately 40 percent since the conclusion of Game 6, according to Forbes' Jesse Lawrence, but it is still one of the most expensive ticket prices there is.

During the Rangers’ Game 7 win over the Capitals in the Eastern Conference semifinals, tickets sold for an average secondary market price of $1,060.15, the most expensive non-Stanley Cup Final game since 2011. The game was also the fourth-highest Game 7 ticket price in sports history, behind the 2011 Stanley Cup Final ($3,834.74), 2014 World Series ($1,733.00) and 2013 NBA Finals ($1,346.60).

ESPN Business Analyst Darren Rovell highlighted the difference between the Western Conference Final and Eastern Conference Final Game 7 ticket prices.

The entertainment of the series, combined with the New York market, makes for an expensive buy in Game 7, and there is little doubt the two teams will live up to the hype surrounding tonight's game.

Lightning Struck with Flu

Tampa Bay is dealing with an apparent flu bug in the locker room at the worst possible time, according to Justin Cuthbert of The Score (h/t Fox Sports).

It allegedly began when forward Braydon Coburn vomited on the team’s bench during Game 5. Lightning center Tyler Johnson and left winger Ondrej Palat allegedly are also suffering flu-like symptoms, per Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun.

Luckily, the team got an extra day off due to a scheduled Billy Joel concert last night at Madison Square Garden. The two-day break will be the first of the series.

Lightning center Alex Killorn said during a media conference call he isn’t too concerned about the widespread illness in the locker room.

“It's tough," Killorn said. "We had a few guys under the weather. Not that that's any excuse. Most of the guys have been ready for games.”

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said the team is moving forward regardless of the apparent malady in the locker room.

“Maybe after it’s all said and done, more things will come out about what’s happened in our room,” Cooper said, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. “Right now, we’re putting the best lineup we can possible.”

The Lightning looked flat in Game 6. If they hope to move on to the Stanley Cup Final, it appears they’ll have to play through illness during tonight's game.

Lundqvist Accustomed to Game 7 Pressure

The Rangers have never lost a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden in franchise history. Recently, that's largely been because of goalie Henrik Lundqvist. When the Rangers have faced elimination from the playoffs, Lundqvist has a career 15-3 record, including an undefeated 4-0 record at home.

In elimination games, Lundqvist is nearly unstoppable. He has allowed just 1.47 goals per game in elimination games and has converted on 95 percent of his save opportunities.

Lundqvist has also won six consecutive Game 7 matches, which ties the NHL record set by former New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur and former Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy. Lundqvist said his past success in Game 7 will probably have little effect on the outcome of tonight’s game, per Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News.

"

You could look at numbers in so many different ways and make them look better than they are. I feel like sometimes the last couple of years, yeah, we’ve had some success, but (Friday) it’s not about what we’ve done in the past. It’s about what we’re doing (Friday) and we really need to prove to ourselves that we can pull this one off.

"

While Lundqvist has great momentum heading into Game 7, a scary moment during the team’s practice yesterday nearly put his status for tonight’s game in doubt. Lundqvist allegedly took a high stick to the shoulder area during a situational drill.

Whether Lundqvist will be at his best tonight is uncertain, but his playoff experience and past success in high-pressure situations give his team an unquestionable edge heading into tonight’s game.

Follow Curtis on Twitter: @CalhounCurtis