New York Rangers vs Flyers: Join the live conversation!
By Steve Paulus
What more could the New York Rangers want at this point in a hockey season than two absolutely crucial games against the Philadelphia Flyers? The way they are playing, a sweep is not out of the question.
The hottest team in the NHL takes on another team that has been scorching hot. While the New York Rangers have won five in a row and nine out of their last ten, the Philadelphia Flyers have won four in a row and 13 of their last 17. Not only that, the Flyers boast the third best home record in the league while the Blueshirts have won a franchise record nine in a row on the road.
Their home record is even more impressive as they lead the league with a .774 home winning percentage and their 22 home wins is tied for most in the NHL. They allow only 2.06 goals per home game, best in the league while the Rangers score 3.29 goals per road game, fourth best in the NHL.
It all sets up to be a magnificent match up reminiscent of the battles between the Rangers and the Broad Street Bullies in the mid-70’s.
Although the Flyers beat up the Rangers in their only meeting this season, since the 2011-12 season the Rangers have gone 22-13-1 against Philadelphia.
Alexandar Georgiev will be getting the start in goal. He has faced the Flyers three times in his career with a 1-2 record. Despite the losing record he has a 1.70 goals against average, stopping 79 of 84 shots and has allowed only one goal in his last two starts against them. He shut them out in his last start in March 2019 and before that he lost a 1-0 thriller at Madison Square Garden.
He should be opposed by Carter Hart who has split his two decisions against New York, allowing four goals in two starts.
This game has a lot of meaning for both teams. A Ranger win combined with losses by Columbus and Carolina and the Blueshirts will be in the second wild card spot and a playoff team. A Philadelphia win combined with a Penguins loss and they will move into second place in the Metropolitan Division and get home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Kevin Hayes scored twice in the Flyers 5-1 win over the Rangers in December and this is his second chance to beat his former team while Brendan Lemieux will take on the player he was traded for. Tony DeAngelo is from southern New Jersey and rooted for the Flyers as a kid, but has yet to get a point against them in five games. He’d love to break that schneid tonight.
Pavel Buchnevich could play tonight and will take warmups. He is a game time decision.
Projected Starting Lineups
New York Rangers
10 Panarin – 16 Strome – 17 Fast
20 Kreider – 93 Zibanejad – 72 Chytil
33 Di Giuseppe – 21 Howden – 24 Kakko
48 Lemieux -14 McKegg – 12 Gauthier
42 Smith – 8 Trouba
18 Staal – 77 DeAngelo
55 Lindgren – 23 Fox
40 Georgiev
30 Lundqvist
Philadelphia Flyers
28 Claude Giroux – 14 Sean Couturier – 93 Jakub Voracek
21 Scott Laughton – 13 Kevin Hayes – 11 Travis Konecny
25 James Van Riemsdyk – 38 Derek Grant – 18 Tyler Pitlick
12 Michael Raffl – 44 Nate Thompson – 62 Nicolas Aube-Kubel
9 Ivan Provorov – 15 Matt Niskanen
6 Travis Sanheim – 5 Philippe Myers
8 Robert Hagg – 61 Justin Braun
79 Carter Hart
37 Brian Elliott
About the game
Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm. The telecast will be on the MSG Network and the radio call will be on ESPN Radio 98.7FM.
The live thread is open now!
Join your fellow Blueshirts fans and talk about your favorite team, this improbable winning streak and how much we all hate the Broad Street Bullies.