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New York Rangers vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Join the live conversation!

By Steve Paulus |
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 23: Alexandar Georgiev #40 of the New York Rangers makes a save as Jimmy Vesey #26 battles against Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on March 23, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 23: Alexandar Georgiev #40 of the New York Rangers makes a save as Jimmy Vesey #26 battles against Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on March 23, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
New York Rangers Goalie Alexandar Georgiev (40) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Rangers Goalie Alexandar Georgiev (40) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs /

The New York Rangers haven’t dropped three games in a row since they had a five game losing streak in October.  They take on a Toronto Maple Leafs team that is on the upswing after a tumultuous start.

Maple Leaf killer Alexandar Georgiev will be in net for the New York Rangers. After allowing four goals and losing his first start against Toronto, Georgiev was lights out in his next two starts, both wins. He held the Leafs to two goals in two games, stopping 99 of 101 shots.

That .980 save percentage is the good news.  The bad news is that the Blueshirts allowed 101 Toronto shots in two games and 136 shots in three games.   The Maple Leafs are on a roll, having won four of their last five games. They’ve allowed 11 goals in five games while scoring 20 goals.

Since the Maple Leafs fired coach Mike Babcock, they have gone 8-4 under new coach Sheldon Keefe.  Despite the improvement, the Leafs have 38 points, only two more than the Rangers and they have played two more games.  It’s shaping up that the Leafs will be one of the teams the Blueshirts will be contending with for a playoff spot, so this is an important game.

With all of the trade speculation surrounding the Blueshirts, one rumor that has persisted is that the Maple Leafs could be a landing spot for Georgiev.  The Leafs’ goaltending after starter Frederik Anderson has been abysmal.  In the seven games Anderson has not started their backups have gone 0-6-1 while allowing 34 goals, almost five goals a game.

New York Rangers
10 Panarin – 16 Strome – 89 Buchnevich
20 Kreider – 93 Zibanejad – 17 Fast
48 Lemieux – 72 Chytil – 24 Kakko
14 McKegg – 21 Howden – 42 Smith

76 Skjei – 8 Trouba
55 Lindgren – 23 Fox
18 Staal – 77 DeAngelo

40 Georgiev
30 Lundqvist

Toronto Maple Leafs
11 Zach Hyman – 91 John Tavares – 16 Mitch Marner
88 William Nylander – 34 Auston Matthews – 24 Kasperi Kapanen
47 Pierre Engvall – 15 Alex Kerfoot – 65 Ilya Mikheyev
41 Dmytro Timashov – 33 Frederik Gauthier – 19 Jason Spezza

44 Morgan Rielly – 94 Tyson Barrie
8 Jake Muzzin – 3 Justin Holl
23 Travis Dermott – 83 Cody Ceci

31 Frederik Andersen
30 Michael Hutchinson

Winger Trevor Moore (#42) has been activated after 13 games on injured reserve with a shoulder injury and could be in the lineup tonight in place of Dmytro Timashov.

Join the live conversation!

It’s seems like the Rangers haven’t played in days….then again, they haven’t.   So which Rangers team will show up?  The team that gets outshot and outchanced most games or the offensive powerhouse that couldn’t score on Monday night?   No matter what, there will be a lot to talk about.

The live thread is open….now.

Gametime is 7pm and the telecast is on the MSG2 Network with the radio call is on ESPN Radio 1050 AM.

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