Rangers-Devils: Join the live conversation!

It’s game three of the preseason for the New York Rangers.  Tonight, it’s off to Newark to take on the resurgent New Jersey Devils.   Join the live conversation during the game and talk about the play and the players.  You can join in using the comments section below.

It will be another mixed lineup as Gerard Gallant gets a last look at some prospects who likely will not stick with the big club.

There are 34 players left in camp, but that includes goalies Adam Huska and Tyler Wall who are destined for the minor leagues.  Six Rangers cleared waivers today and were sent to Hartford this afternoon  Those players were Keith Kinkaid, Tony Bitetto, Ty Ronning, Tim Gettinger, Anthony Greco and Jonny Brodzinski.

Projected starting lineups

Despite all the chatter about Kreider moving to the off wing, he will be on the left side of Mika Zibanejad with Vitali Kravtsov getting a turn on the right side on that line.  Both Zac Jones and Nils Lundkvist will be in the game as the two are battling to win the right to start the season in New York.

Watch the Zac Jones-Braden Schneider tandem.  That could be a pair for years to come.

This is the first time we will see Mason Geertsen in the lineup.  He is a defenseman converted to forward and he is known as an enforcer type.   It’s an important game for Dryden Hunt, Greg McKegg and Julien Gauthier, all hopeing to stick with the big club.

Lauri Pajuniemi will no doubt be sent to Hartford, but he has impressed with a wicked shot and they wanted to get another look at him.

New York Rangers

20 Kreider – 93 Zibanejad – 74 Kravtsov
21 Goodrow – 72 Chytil – 15 Gauthier
29 Hunt – 14 McKegg – 91 Blais
54 Geertsen – 47 Barron – 49 Pajuniemi

79 Miller – 8 Trouba
5 Tinordi – 64 Lundkvist
6 Jones – 45 Schneider

31 Shesterkin
32 Huska

Forwards:

• 10 Alexander Holtz
• 12 Tyce Thompson
• 13  Nico Hischier
• 16 Jimmy Vesey
• 18 Dawson Mercer
• 20 Michael McLeod
• 37 Pavel Zacha
• 44 Miles Wood
• 47 Chase De Leo
• 59 Janne Kuokkanen
• 70 Jesper Boqvist
• 90 Tomas Tatar

Defense:

• 2 Colton White
• 7 Dougie Hamilton
• 33 Ryan Graves
• 76 P.K. Subban
• 81 Michael Vukojevic
• 82 Nikita Okhotiuk

Goalies

45 Jonathan Bernier
50 Nico Daws

The big news is that this will be Dougie Hamilton’s debut for the Devils as the highly sought after free agent acquisition has not played in any games yet.

Ranger fans will recognize Jimmy Vesey who was signed to a Professional Tryout by the Devils after playing for Toronto and Vancouver last season.  Vesey had two straight 17 goal seasons in New York before he was traded to Buffalo in a salary dump in 2019.  Since then, he’s been a disappointment. He signed with the Maple Leafs as a free agent and was picked up on waivers by the Canucks.  He scored five goals and had 10 points in 50 games.

Join the live conversation

As always during games, Blue Line Station will be hosting a live in-game conversation using the comments feature below. Feel free to watch the game and talk about it with your fellow Ranger fans. We’ve had some issues with the comments refreshing and are working on that, so please bear with us.

Bugs aside, it’s always fun to interact with other Rangers fans during the games and when the Rangers play the Devils it is always interesting.

The live thread is open now!