Blue Line Station
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New York Rangers hoping to halt red hot Boston Bruins

By Andrew Steele-Davis

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 27: New York Rangers left wing Brendan Lemieux (48) spills Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) during a game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers on March 27, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 27: New York Rangers left wing Brendan Lemieux (48) spills Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) during a game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers on March 27, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 26: Tuukka Rask #40 and David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins celebrate the win against the St. Louis Blues at the TD Garden on October 26, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 26: Tuukka Rask #40 and David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins celebrate the win against the St. Louis Blues at the TD Garden on October 26, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Three Keys to the game for the Rangers

  1. Shut down David Pastrnak – The 23-year-old has been absolute lights out to start the year and it is scary to think about how high the forward’s ceiling could actually be. Through 10 games, Pastrnak has 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points, and he can make things happen out of nothing for the Bruins. He’s also a lethal weapon on the power play with eight points on the man advantage so far this year, and he will cause havoc if the Rangers don’t shut him down tonight.
  2. Play good defense – The Boston Bruins boast one of the top lines in all of hockey, while they can also rely on the rest of their lineup and their defense to provide secondary scoring. As a result, the New York Rangers are going to have to play solid defense from the very first drop of the puck, while the Bruins don’t give up many goals themselves so the Blueshirts can’t afford to give up too many goals and given themselves a mountain to climb.
  3. Play physical – This isn’t a particular strength of the Rangers but they are going to have to give as good as they’ve got against a Boston Bruins team who pride themselves on playing physical, laying the body on and battling hard in the corners with and without the puck. The likes of Brendan Lemieux and Jesper Fast are warriors for the Rangers and it will be on them to set the tone for the rest of the team. If the New York Rangers are going to win the war against the Boston Bruins, then they are going to have to win the physical battles first.

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About The Game

This is a mouthwatering showdown between two Original Six franchises, but it will also be the toughest of tests for the New York Rangers who will have to be at their very best in order to beat one of the elite teams in the NHL.

Faceoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the MSG Network, while fans can listen on the Radio on ESPN 98.7 FM. After tonight the homestand concludes against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

For fans wanting a double dose of hockey action today, you can head to Madison Square Garden at 1:00 p.m. ET for the Rangers Alumni Classic against the Boston Bruins, which will feature legends and iconic names such as Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, Adam Graves, Ray Bourque and Rick Middleton.

Tickets for the Rangers Alumni Classic begin at $20 and all proceeds support the New York Rangers Assist Program, dedicated to growing Youth Hockey, and access to it for everyone, in the Tri-State Area.

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