New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils Preview
By Frank Pickel
New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils: No Love Lost
It is safe to say that these teams simply hate each other. Every time they meet it is a physical battle and the New York Rangers look to take it to the Devils tonight as they visit MSG.
Rangers Play for Redemption
Last week the New Jersey Devils beat the New York Rangers 2-3 in New Jersey. The Rangers dominated the Devils when play was at full strength, however the Devils out played the Rangers special teams and this proved to be the deciding factor. Tonight, the Rangers look to write their wrongs at home and in doing so earn their third win in a row. A winning streak that has been unmatched since they went on a nine game winning streak that stretched from October 25th to November 15th.
Every Game is a Playoff Game
The Metropolitan division is getting heated and no team seems to have a stronghold on playoff positioning, with the unfortunate exception of the Washington Capitals who may already have a Presidents Trophy acceptance speech drafted. Here is a general overview of what is happening within the division:
- The Devils are tied with the Penguins for the last playoff position in the Eastern Conference. A Devils team that has gone 5-1-2 since January 16th.
- The Penguins are heating up with a record of 6-2-2 in their last 10 games played. They still have not played the Rangers this season and have four games against the Blueshirts coming up very quickly.
- The Islanders are breathing down the Rangers back. They are only three points behind Blueshirts in third place.
- Even the Canes have a real shot at the playoffs. They are only two points behind both the Devils and Penguins and they have been played well over their last ten games posting a record of 5-3-2 in that time.
These are some of the reasons why it is so important that the Rangers win tonight. They need the points, momentum and the confidence that can come with winning without Mac, which is crucial since his concussion leaves his return unknown.
As if losing McDonagh wasn’t enough of a hurdle, Nash is still out with that lingering bone bruise. It will be interesting to see how Alain Vigneault deals with this issue, but for the fun of speculation here is some statistical analysis that lends itself to a viable solution to this problem.
Regardless of who is in the lineup for the New York Rangers tonight, they need to win. A three point lead doesn’t mean a thing with the amount of hockey there is left to play.
A major aspect of the Rangers game that needs a ton of focus is special teams. Since the team has a very poor penalty kill, they need to focus on staying out of the penalty box. They will be tested, as they were on Saturday when players on the Flyers seemed to intentionally provoke confrontation with hopes that a Ranger would throw the first punch. This will most likely be the case tonight as well. As stated earlier, these teams dislike each other and it will not take much to set someone off. The Blueshirts need to pick their battles wisely.
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The Rangers also need to put the puck on goal whenever the opportunity presents itself. The goalie for New Jersey, Cory Schneider, is an All Star goalie that has played lights out against the Blueshirts blocking 57 of 60 shots over the teams last two meetings.
The New York Rangers have shown signs of brilliance when they are at full strength and their dominating 5-on-5 play must continue. They need to come out fast and borage Schneider with shots if they want to win this game. They won’t win a 0-1 game against the Devils, one of the most improved teams in the NHL this year. Especially, if they find themselves logging decent time in the penalty box.
Who to Watch For
J.T. Miller has been a major key to the Rangers success lately. He has posted eight goals in his last nine games and nine points over the same period of time. He is playing out of his mind, which has given him and Alain Vigneault confidence in his ability to play with the big boys.
Derick Brassard along with Miller has also been on a tear. With 8 points and 3 goals over the last 4 games he seems to be hitting stride.
These two need to keep producing at a high level to give the Rangers a chance with their captain out. The hole in the New York Rangers defense which has been caused by Ryan McDonagh’s injury, will need to be filled with an increased offensive production. Tonight’s game will test the Rangers defensive ability. Their defense has been rather spotty and they can ill afford to play any less than their best while they go up against a great goalie who will limit goals and an offense that has proven they can beat the Blueshirts special teams scoring twice on power plays last week.