Fansided

Playoff-bound New York Rangers host the Columbus Blue Jackets

By Conor Power |
COLUMBUS, OH - JANUARY 16: K'Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers talks with Filip Chytil #72 during a stoppage in play in the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on January 16, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - JANUARY 16: K'Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers talks with Filip Chytil #72 during a stoppage in play in the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on January 16, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – JANUARY 16: K’Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers talks with Filip Chytil #72 during a stoppage in play in the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on January 16, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – JANUARY 16: K’Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers talks with Filip Chytil #72 during a stoppage in play in the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on January 16, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

After the out-of-town scoreboard was kind to the iconic Blueshirts in Manhattan, we can say that the New York Rangers are going to the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They become one of 5 times to have punched their ticket to the dance joining Boston, Carolina, New Jersey, and Toronto. To celebrate, they welcome the 31st-placed team in the entire NHL, the Columbus Blue Jackets, to Madison Square Garden.

Ryan Lindgren is expected to miss his third straight game tonight with an upper-body injury despite being a full participant in practice yesterday. While the Rangers’ opponent tonight is already mathematically eliminated from post-season contention and is closer to the Connor Bedard sweepstakes than competing for the postseason moving forward, it would be nice to have this Rangers team at full strength.

NHL.com lists the projected starter for the Rangers as Igor Shesterkin, but against an opponent like this and with just 9 games left on the schedule for the Rangers, it could be a good chance to get Jaroslav Halak some game time and allow the reigning Vezina trophy winner some time off before the postseason starts and the Rangers hunt to bring the Stanley Cup back to New York begins.

New York Rangers

Artemi Panarin – Mika Zibanejad – Vladimir Tarasenko
Chris Kreider – Vincent Trocheck – Patrick Kane
Alexis Lafreniere – Filip Chytil – Kaapo Kakko
Jimmy Vesey – Barclay Goodrow – Tyler Motte

Niko Mikkola – Adam Fox
K’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
Ben Harpur – Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin
Jaroslav Halak

Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnny Gaudreau – Boone Jenner – Kirill Marchenko
Kent Johnson – Jack Roslovic – Lane Pederson
Eric Robinson – Sean Kuraly – Trey Fix-Wolansky
Liam Foudy – Hunter McKown – Emil Bemstrom

Tim Berni — Andrew Peeke
Jake Christiansen — Adam Boqvist
Gavin Bayreuther — Billy Sweezey

Michael Hutchinson
Jon Gillies

Puck drop time and where to watch

This is a 7 PM Eastern puck drop time as the Rangers will look to overcome the Columbus Blue Jackets to move just 2 points back of the New Jersey Devils ahead. A victory tonight would make the meeting at the Prudential Center between the two teams enormous. However, that will not be the case if the Rangers cannot take two points tonight as the game is broadcast on MSG for the Rangers feed and Bally Sports Ohio for the Columbus one.

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