The New York Rangers take on the Buffalo Sabres in the second of two games. While they were happy walking away with a win on Thursday night, they don’t want to have to resort to overtime to do it.
The big news is that Vitali Kravtsov will make his NHL debut. The news came in a Tweet from the club.
Tonight:
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 3, 2021
It’s showtime. ✨ pic.twitter.com/0Kn8WDU5O7
Putting him in the lineup makes sense since Buffalo is a weaker opponent and the pressure will be less than the games this week against the Penguins and Islanders. The question is who will sit with the likeliest candidate to be Phil Di Giuseppe.
Kravtsov’s debut has been long awaited by Ranger fans. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. he has played in the AHL and KHL since being drafted and the 21 year old should be primed to compete after playing a full season and playoffs with Traktor in the KHL. He looks destined to play on the fourth line with Kevin Rooney and Colin Blackwell, though don’t be surprised if he see some action with Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafrenière.