It’s game two of this four game series against the New Jersey Devils and the mission for the New York Rangers hasn’t changed a bit. They must win. They will be doing it with Igor Shesterkin in net again and despite missing practice, Artemi Panarin will be in the lineup.
Coach David Quinn spoke about the game and warned again that the Devils are not an easy opponent. He said “Our sport is the most effort driven sport…because our game is played in such a small area. Effort can overcome a lot of things. If there is the slightest drop in effort from one team and the other team continues to have an uptick in effort, that can overcome a lot.”
Jacob Trouba spoke after practice and was asked about what happened in the locker room after the second period when Quinn said he took a leadership role and the coaches stayed out. Trouba didn’t really elaborate, saying ” I didn’t like our second period. What happens in the room kinda stays in the room.”
Ryan Strome did speak about it, saying that Trouba took the initiative. “Sometimes when the coach comes in it’s almost like your parents yelling at you all the time. Sometimes you have to take it from within and we have to grow as a group…it was good learning point for our team.”
About the Rangers
The home team has lost every game in this series so the Rangers will have break that streak. In the “only in the COVID year” record book, this is the first time the Rangers have played the same opponent four times in a row during the regular season. It could easily be the only time that will happen when the schedule gets normal again.
Coach Quinn confirmed that the lineup will be the exact same lineup that has skated the last few games. That means Julien Gauthier last played on April 3 and this will be the sixth game he has sat out. The other victim will be Phil Di Giuseppe who last played on April 6. Vitali Kravtsov has done his part to keep them out of the lineup though some would argue that with Brett Howden playing wing and having scored no non-empty goals in 39 games, he could be swapped out. Quinn continously harps on Howden’s defensive prowess as the reason he stays in the lineup.
With the lineup intact,that also means that Zac Jones is not anywhere near getting into a game. He is practicing with the team and is under contract, but Quinn said that Jones needs to “earn” the right to be in the lineup. How a player earns a shot when he isn’t playing and practices are at a minimum is a mystery.
Projected lineup
20 Kreider– 93 Zibanejad – 89 Buchnevich
10 Panarin – 16 Strome – 43 Blackwell
13 Lafrenière – 72 Chytil- 24 Kakko
21 Howden – 17 Rooney – 72 Kravtsov
55 Lindgren – 23 Fox
79 Miller – 8 Trouba
25 Hajek – 42 Smith
31 Shesterkin
40 Georgiev
Wolf Pack win again
The Hartford Wolf Pack are hot, winners of seven in a row. Their latest win was this afternoon, 4-2 over Bridgeport. They also beat Bridgeport on Tuesday, 5-4. Morgan Barron is the leading scorer with nine goals and 17 points in 17 games. Ty Ronning is second with eight goals and 15 points in only 11 games. Tarmo Reunanen is the leader among defensemen with three goals and 14 points in 17 games.
Since there are no limits on roster size after the trade deadline and the Rangers can call up four players from the AHL, the question is which four players will get the call. As long as the Rangers are in the playoff hunt, it’s unlikely that any call ups would actually play, so for now they will remin in Hartford. It the Rangers playoff hopes go south, it’s quite possible we will see Barron and Reunanen in New York, the question is which two others could get the call.
About the Devils
Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt are both battling injuries and will miss the game tonight. They are the two top scorers on the team so that mean Jack Hughes with 21 points will be the on-ice leader. The Rangers have six players with as many or more than Hughes’ total.
The Devils have been disciplined playing the Rangers and have not taken a penalty in two of the games. The Rangers have had only three games this season with at least one power play.
Projected lineup
59 Janne Kuokkanen – 86 Jack Hughes – 38 Yegor Sharangovich
44 Miles Wood – 13 Nico Hischier -11 Andreas Johnsson
67 Marian Studenic – 90 Jesper Boqvist -12 Tyce Thompson
23 Mikhail Maltsev – 20 Michael McLeod – 39 Nick Merkley
24 Ty Smith – 76 P.K. Subban
22 Ryan Murray – 28 Damon Severson
71 Jonas Siegenthaler – 8 Will Butcher
29 MacKenzie Blackwood
4 Scott Wedgewood
Keys to winning
- Do not take this team lightly – The Devils are missing their two top scorers and have the youngest team in the NHL with the trading of their veterans. They would love to spoil the Rangers’ playoff hopes. The Bruins play the Islanders. The margin could be two points after tonight. Don’t blow it.
- Take the load off Panarin – Artemi Panarin missed practice for “maintenance.” He was seen on the bench in the last game getting treatment with a heat pack. It’s obvious that he is hurting. The other Rangers need to take the load off Panarin and score early and score a lot so Quinn can ease off Panarin’s ice time. Tuesday’s game was much too close.
- Shoot the puck – The Rangers have been outshot four times in the last five games including the last game against the Devils. It’s north-south, not east-west guys. Oh yes, and when you shoot the puck, hit the net.
East Division
It was a day off for all East Division teams on Wednesday, but all eight teams will be in action tonight with the key match to watch the game between the Islanders and Bruins.
Thursday’s games
Devils @ Rangers
Islanders @ Bruins
Sabres @ Capitals
Flyers @ Penguins
Standings
1- Washington 43 28-11-4 60 points
2- Islanders 42 27-11-4 58 points
3- Pittsburgh 42 27-13-2 56 points
4- Boston 40 22-12-6 50 points
5- Rangers 42 20-16-6 46 points
6–Philadelphia 42 19-17-6 44 points
7- New Jersey 41 14-21-6 34 points
8- Buffalo 42 10-25-7 27 points
About the game and join the live conversation
The game starts at 7pm EST and it will be It will be televised on the MSG Network with the radio call on ESPN 98.7 FM.
Be sure and join the live conversation here on Blue Line Station. The live thread can be found in the conversations section (below). Any topic is fair game, not just the Rangers-Devils action.