Live conversation as long road trip ends vs Flyers

The last time the New York Rangers played a Metropolitan Division rival was last December 1 when they beat the Flyers 4-1 at Madison Square Garden.  After 38 games they have played only six games with Met Division teams.  That means they still have 20 out of the remaining 44 games against those teams.  They are 5-1 so far and if they keep that up, they have a shot at first place.

Since that December 1 meeting, the Rangers have gone 10-6-1 while the Flyers have gone 5-7-3 and fallen 13 points out of the last wild card spot.  Five days after that loss they fired coach Alain Vigneault replacing him with interim coach Mike Yeo.

Under Yeo they have been slightly better, at NHL .500 with a record of 5-5-3.  They take on the Rangers with no one out on the COVID protocol, but missing some key players in Sean Couturier, Ryan Ellis, Samuel Morin and Nate Thompson out with injuries.  Today, Derick Brassard was placed on Injured Reserve with a hip injury.

Meanwhile, the Rangers get Coach Gerard Gallant, Assistant Coach Mike Kelly plus forwards Ryan Reaves and Julien Gauthier back from the COVID protocol.   That means it’s back to the Taxi Squad for Anthony Greco and civilian clothes for Jonny Brodzinski and back to Hartford for Kris Knoblauch.

Gallant said that he hardly had any symptoms and that it was a good perspective to watch the game from a distance.  He was very complimentary of Knoblauch and the players who filled in over the two games he missed.

Braden Schneider will get his second game in the NHL and based on his performance in his debut, it will be hard to get him out of the lineup.  After practice, Jacob Trouba was asked about him and if he would be helping him adjust to the NHL.  He said “Yeah, until he takes my job.”  Trouba did say that he and Schneider are very similar players.

Another encouraging factor in San Jose was that Patrik Nemeth played what might have been his best game as a Ranger, paired with Schneider.

Projected starting lineups

Based on the lines in their morning practice, both Gauthier and Reaves will be in lineup.   Filip Chytil has assists in three straight games and gets another chance on the right side of Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin.  Gauthier will replace Anthony Greco on the AHL line with Morgan Barron and Tim Gettinger.

With three days off before their next game, Igor Shesterkin will be getting the start in goal.

NEW YORK RANGERS

20 Kreider – 93 Zibanejad – 24 Kakko
10 Panarin – 16 Strome – 72 Chytil
14 McKegg – 17 Rooney – 75 Reaves
26 Gettinger – 47 Barron –   12 Gauthier

55 Lindgren – 23 Fox
79 Miller – 8 Trouba
15 Nemeth – 45 Schneider

31 Shesterkin
40 Georgiev

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

86 Joel Farabee -28 Claude Giroux – 89 Cam Atkinson
25 James van Riemsdyk – 13 Kevin Hayes – 20 Gerry Mayhew
23 Oskar Lindblom – 21 Scott Laughton  – 11 Travis Konecny
59 Jackson Cates – 48 Morgan Frost – 17 Zack MacEwen

9 Ivan Provorov – 61 Justin Braun
45 Cam York – 6 Travis Sanheim
3 Keith Yandle – 24 Nick Seeler

79 Carter Hart
35 Martin Jones

With the season going south and the numerous injuries, there is a lot of youth in the Flyers’ lineup.  Rookies include Cam York, Jackson Cates and Morgan Frost.

Carter Hart gets the start in goal  and is 4-3-1 lifetime against the Rangers with a 3.37 goals against average and a .880 save percentage. He has rebounded from a dreadful season last year to post numbers close to his career average.

How to watch and the live conversation

We finally get a game that starts at a decent hour, with puck drop scheduled for 7pm.  The telecast is on MSG+ with the national feed on ESPN+. Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti will actually be in the arena for the game after doing the first four games of the road trip from their Manhattan studios. The radiocast is on WEPN 1050AM.

As usual, Blue Line Station will host a live conversation during the games, perfect for you night owls.  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below as the Rangers hope to end the longest road trip of the season with a winning record.