New York Rangers Look To Stop Losing Skid Against Flyers

The New York Rangers will skate against the Philadelphia Flyers today at Madison Square Garden. The puck drops at 1:30 PM, and can been viewed on MSG.

The 16-5-2 Rangers enter today’s contest having dropped their last two games, and are clinging to 1st place in the Metropolitan Division by 1 point. The Washington Capitals have closed the gap, and have earned a 2nd place (16-5-1) record with 33 points and one game in hand.

The Philadelphia Flyers are currently in 6th place in the Metropolitan Division with an 8-10-5 record and 21 points. The Broad Street Bullies are coming off a big overtime win against the Nashville Predators.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Philly have struggled to get a rhythm going this season, as they have only won 4 of their last 16 games. The team has also suffered injuries to some key players in Mark Streit, Sam Gagner, and R.J. Umberger.

The Rangers will need to neutralize Cladue Giroux and Jakub Voracek, as they continue to produce for the Flyers.

Giroux leads the team with 17 points, having tallied 8 goals and 9 assists. Voracek has only earned 1 goal, but has been in a giving mood with 11 assists.

Keep your eye out for the Philly rookie Shayne Gostisbehere. The Florida native notched the winning OT goal on Friday, and has put together an impressive start with 3 goals and 2 assists.

The big news from New York entering this game, is the injury Derek Stepan suffered on Friday. Stepan broke some ribs after he received a questionable hit from Boston player Matt Beleskey on Friday.

READ MORE: How Will The New York Rangers Juggle Lines With Stepan Out?

This is bad news for the Rangers, whose 2nd line hasn’t produced as of late. Expect Alain Vigneault to juggle the lines throughout today’s match-up as a result.

Keys To Victory

Speed And Cycle

A large part of the Rangers identity and success thus far has been their speed.

The Rangers play their best hockey when players keep their feet moving in the offensive zone. Cycling the puck along the side boards and below the goal line creates continuous movement, which opens up shooting lanes and leaves players open.

It’s no secret that the Flyers will want to get the Rangers off of their play with a physical game, but the Blueshirts will be successful if they can counter with speed.

Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Better Team Defense

Team is the key word here, as the Rangers have fallen into bad defensive habits the past few games.

The defensemen need to cover the front of the net today, especially against a Flyers team that will want to agitate Rangers starter Antti Raanta. This lack of coverage has been a major problem, and has directly led to goals in both the Montreal and Boston games.

It’s not all on the defensive squad though, as the forwards have not covered the high slot well enough, and have left opponents all alone in front of Henrik Lundqvist the past few contests. The Blueshirts need to solve this issue moving forward if they want to win.

Keep Emotions In Check

It’s no secret that the Rangers have not played their best hockey lately.

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The Flyers are not as talented as the Rangers, and will want to gain an advantage by keeping the Blueshirts unfocused. Expect a hard-nosed game, with a lot of chirping after the whistles, and extra whacks on Raanta.

The Rangers need to skate away after the whistles, and even take a cheap shot or two without retaliation to frustrate Philly. As fans saw against Boston, McIlrath’s fight in defense of Stepan was warranted, but only put the Rangers further in the hole.

Enjoy the game everyone, and as always, Let’s Go Rangers!