New York Rangers looking to hit another home run against the Devils

Tonight offers up another instalment of the Hudson River Rivalry but with a twist as the New York Rangers attempt to move a step closer to achieving their postseason dreams.

After stunning the Washington Capitals on Thursday in what was arguably the most memorable game at Madison Square Garden in a few years, the New York Rangers must get back down to business against the New Jersey Devils.

While many are still salivating over the five-goal explosion from Mika Zibanejad on Thursday, there is a bigger picture at play.

With the New York Islanders losing to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, the Blueshirts could move a step closer to the wild-card by winning tonight.

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The omens are good given that the Rangers at an impressive 19-13-0 have the seventh-best record in the National Hockey League since Christmas, while they are 18-15-2 at Madison Square Garden.

Plus, with phenom goalie Igor Shesterkin on the cusp of a return from a misplaced rib fracture, the Rangers are well-placed to make a real run down the stretch.

However, tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden won’t be easy given that the Devils have shown some signs of life under Interim Head Coach Alain Nasreddine.

Despite trading away some key pieces at the Trade Deadline, the Devils have gone 16-9-7 since Christmas, ranked sixth in the NHL.

They are playing like a desperate hockey team right now and, with a plethora of players fighting for the right to be a part of the bigger picture in New Jersey, the Rangers will have to guard against complacency tonight.

Games between these two teams are always entertaining to watch and, given what is at stake for the Rangers, tonight’s contest should have extra spice attached to it.

This Season

Tonight’s game is the fourth and final encounter between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils this season.

The Devils won the first meeting of the year at Prudential Center on Oct. 17, but the Blueshirts have bossed the season series from that point on.

They shutout their rivals 4-0 at Prudential Center on Nov. 30, while the Rangers came out on top in a thrilling 6-3 contest at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 9, thanks to a hat-trick from Tony DeAngelo.

Important stuff you need to know

Let’s go over some nuggets of information prior to tonight’s game…

• Let’s start with the man of the moment. Mika Zibanejad has recorded an incredible 14 goals in his last 10 games, in addition to amassing 47 points (27 goals, 20 assists) in his last 33 games. Now, that is the definition of a hot streak.
• Another Ranger having a stellar year is Artemi Panarin, who is on the cusp of reaching the 100-point plateau after recording yet another multi-point game against the Washington Capitals on Thursday. Through 66 games, Panarin has tallied 32 goals and 61 assists for 93 points with a plus/minus rating of +35. The Russian stud also leads the NHL in even-strength points with 69, even-strength assists (44), 5-on-5 points (58) and 5-on-5 assists (37) this year.
• Tony DeAngelo is also on an absolute tear this year, having established career-highs in goals (14), assists (38) and points (52), becoming the first Rangers defenseman to record at least 50 points since the great Brian Leetch tallied 55 in 2000-01. DeAngelo is tied for fourth among all NHL defensemen in points this season, while he recorded a hat-trick in the last meeting with the Devils.
• The Blueshirts are 2-1-0 against the New Jersey Devils this year, while they have won five of seven games against the Devils since the start of the 2018-19 season.
• Jesper Fast, who is on 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) this year, is riding a three-game point streak with three goals against the Devils.
• The Rangers have a huge opportunity to spring a surprise by making the postseason this year, and they have their own destiny in their hands with seven of their final 15 regular season games against teams in the Metro Division, including tonight’s contest.
• New York is red hot on the power play right now, registering a goal on the man advantage in each of their last three games (6-for-15, 40.0%), while the Rangers’ 32.2% power play efficiency since Dec. 27, is the best in the NHL as is their 29 goals on the man advantage during that span.
• The Devils have picked up points in seven of their last eight outings, and they have just gone 2-1-2 on a five-game road trip.
• New Jersey is 16-9-7 since Christmas, the seventh-best record in the NHL, while they boast the NHL’s third-best penalty kill at 84.5% in that span.
• The Devils have an 8-8-2 record against Metro Division opponents this year, while they are 6-6-1 in the second-half of back-to-back games this season, which should give the Rangers some encouragement.

About The Devils

This is an interesting time for the New Jersey Devils right now.

Despite making it clear that they were ready to go all in back in the off-season, this franchise is now currently executing yet another teardown.

After being incredibly aggressive in the off-season didn’t pay off, the Devils made wholesale changes including firing Head Coach John Hynes and General Manager Ray Shero.

Now, under the guidance of Interim General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils have continued to sell off a plethora of pieces.

They dealt the likes of Andy Greene, Blake Coleman, Wayne Simmonds and Sami Vatanen at the Trade Deadline, although they did keep both P.K. Subban and Kyle Palmieri.

It is clear that New Jersey will now go for the slow-burn approach and attempt to build a contender piece by piece around franchise players Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.

There is hope for the Devils, too, given that they have also unearthed a stud goalie in Mackenzie Blackwood, who is 21-13-8 this year with a 2.71 Goals Against Average and a .916 Save Percentage.

Despite being stuck on a bad team, Blackwood has been sensational and the Devils have some nice pieces they can now build around.

And they have shown signs of life under Interim Head Coach Alain Nasreddine, going 2-1-2 on a recent five-game road trip, including stunning the reigning Stanley Cup champions the St. Louis Blues on Friday.

New Jersey is 5-1-2 in their past eight games and 9-4-2 in their last 15, and the Devils are playing some of their best hockey of the year right now.

The Devils are also 16-9-7 since Christmas and they have excelled on the penalty kill, killing off power plays at a 84.5% clip, ranked third in the National Hockey League during that span.

Blackwood will get the start between the pipes for the New Jersey Devils tonight, while Will Butcher is out.

Three Keys to the Game

1. Protect Igor – Rejoice, Rangers fans. The rookie phenom Igor Shesterkin is slated to get the start tonight, despite misplacing his rib in a car crash less than two weeks ago. Shesterkin participated in full practice on Thursday and Friday, and looks good to go. The prospect has been stellar since making his NHL debut, going a stunning 9-1-0 with a 2.23 GAA and a .940 SV%. However, given that this is his first game back and it is also a rivalry game, the Rangers will need to ensure that they play hard around their own net and protect Shesterkin at all costs.
2. Beware of Bratt – Jesper Bratt has been on a tear for the New Jersey Devils, recording nine points (five goals, four assists) in his last nine outings. After opting to tear down the roster once again, the Devils are playing without fear right now and a host of players, including Bratt, have a point to prove. As a result, the Rangers will need to put the shackles on the forward and prevent him from extending his streak.
3. Rise to the occasion – This is a huge game for the New York Rangers. On the cusp of a wild-card spot, the Blueshirts have the opportunity to really make some noise tonight and keep the pressure on the likes of the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, the Devils have been resurgent since Christmas and they simply won’t just roll over. As a result, the Rangers will need to be ready to fight and scrap from the first drop of the puck and this is going to be a real litmus test.

About The Game

Faceoff at Madison Square Garden is at 7:00 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on the MSG Network, while radio will carry the game on ESPN 98.7 FM.

Want to discuss all thing Rangers and this team’s current exploits? Head over to our in-game blog which will be up about a half hour before faceoff here at Blue Line Station.

Enjoy the game!