The 2021 season kicks off for the New York Rangers with a classic matchup with a bitter rival
We’ve been waiting a long time for this. Too long. Thankfully, the NHL schedule-makers gave us a gift with a home opener against the Islanders. After that it just doesn’t let up with another Islander game followed by the Devils and Pittsburgh. The new East Division is the reason and we have get used to it, there will be no easy games on this schedule.
The last time the Rangers played in the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden was on March 7 in a 6-4 loss to the Devils. There won’t be any fans, but we can hope for frequent renditions of the Rangers’ goal song.
Perhaps the best news is the NHL released a list of players who are sidelined by COVID-19 and of the 22 players, only prospect Justin Richards is with the Blueshirts. That list does not include the Dallas Stars who reported 17 players had tested positive. There are no reported cases on the Islanders. Mika Zibanejad will play.
#NYR Coach Quinn confirms Mika Zibanejad will play tonight vs. NYI.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 14, 2021
It should be a typical Ranger-Islander game with the emotion of a longtime rivalry. There’s no doubt that play will be sloppy due to the lack of practice, but both teams are close to the same squads that played last year. The Islanders made fewer changes than the Rangers so the Blueshirts could need more adjusting as the game goes on.