Time: 10:00 pm EST
Location: Rogers Arena- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
It’s finally New York Rangers Gameday….errr, Night. The team travels north of the border to Western Canada, as they will face the Vancouver Canucks. This will be the first of two meetings the season between the two. The next time they face each other will be February 19th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
New York Rangers: 12-10-4, 28 points, fourth place in the Metropolitan Division
Eyes On Isles
This will be the first game the team has played in five days. The last time was in a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over the division leading Pittsburgh Penguins. The game will be most remembered for the game-winning goal by defenseman Kevin Klein, who earlier lost part of his ear on a earlier play. The team never trailed in the game, but did give up the lead twice in the third period. Through the inconsistencies, the Rangers did manage to come out on top. Now, the Rangers will look to continue their winning ways as they travel out West. This season, they are 3-5-1 away from Madison Square Garden. In their last 10 games, the team is 5-4-1. The team is led by Rick Nash with 28 points (18 goals and 10 assists). He is currently riding a eight-game point streak with six goals and three assists, and has registered a point in 21 of 26 games played this season. Nash ranks second among the league’s leaders in goals and leads the NHL in games played scoring a goal with 16. Tonight also marks the return of forward Chris Kreider. However, it appears head coach Alain Vigneault is sending a message to Kreider by starting him on the fourth line, while promoting the inconsistent, but hopeful J.T. Miller to the second line. Whether the message will be heard will be determined tonight is up to the young forward. In net, Henrik Lundqvist is expected to get the start. Entering tonight, he is 10-7-3 with a 2.71 goals against average and a .906 save percentage, a subpar start compared to his normal standards. Despite this, he has enjoyed success against the Canucks the past three games faced. He is 3-0 with 2 shutouts and an almost perfect save percentage of .991.
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Vancouver Canucks: 18-9-2, 38 points, second in the Pacific Division
The Canucks return home after a lengthy, seven-game road trip, which saw them drop their last three games. The Canucks last played on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, which they lost 3-1. The team will be rested also, as they play host to the Rangers tonight. The Canucks are led by their twin offensive weapons, Daniel and Henrik Sedin each with 26 points. Their leading goal scorer is is Radim Vrbata with 12. In goal, the Ryan Miller should get the start. The long-time Buffalo Sabres goalie is off to a good start this season with a record of 16-6-0 and a 2.57 goals against average.
Injuries:
The Rangers do not list any injuries. Tanner Glass is a healthy scratch. Anthony Duclair is practicing with Team Canada for the World Juniors.
The Canucks list forwards Zach Kassian and Dan Hamhuis as out. Shawn Matthias is probable for tonight’s game.
Players to watch:
Chris Kreider-
It will be interesting to sees how he will respond to his demotion. Before missing Monday’s game, he was already experiencing a scoring slump. For most of the game, the Rangers did not miss his absence in the lineup, despite giving up two leads. However, Kreider adds his physical play, along with speed to the lineup. Keep an eye out on him to see how Vigneault uses him throughout the game tonight.
Ryan Miller-
The surprising performance of Miller in net has made Canucks forget about a goalie controversy. The past few seasons, they’ve had to endure the never-ending drama of “who’s in net?” Off to a quick start, Miller has solidified himself as the team’s number one. However, he is coming off a rough stretch of five games, where he was 2-3 with a 2.60 goals against average and a .881 save percentage.