Rangers Play Second Home Game Of the Season Against Predators
After a less-than-convincing win in a fun game against the Arizona Coyotes, the New York Rangers will return to action at Madison Square Garden against another central division foe as the Nashville Predators come to the Big Apple. This is a much-changed Predators roster from the last time we saw them at the Garden. With new players, a new direction, and the first real change in the front office in the history of the Predators, they are a bit of an unknown entity.
Former Florida Panthers head coach Andrew Brunette has taken over the reins of this team from John Hynes. Former Predators head coach Barry Trotz has replaced David Poile as general manager in Smashville, and the club started to go a different direction. Moving out long-term staples of the roster for cap relief and buying out others, this Predators team will be much different tonight.
After missing practice yesterday, Nick Bonino is expected to go tonight as the fourth-line center. Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox were shaken up in the Arizona Coyotes game, so having both players on the expected roster tonight is a major positive. Staying healthy is going to be much more important than the results early. Two points would be nice, but if the Rangers can escape with all 19 players healthy and okay, there’s no reason to start overreacting.
Nashville Predators
Filip Forsberg – Ryan O’Reilly – Juuso Parssinen
Gustav Nyquist – Cody Glass – Colton Sissons
Kiefer Sherwood – Tommy Novak – Luke Evangelista
Yakov Trenin – Michael McCarron – Cole Smith
Roman Josi – Dante Fabbro
Ryan McDonagh – Alexandre Carrier
Jeremy Lauzon – Tyson Barrie
Juuse Saros
Kevin Lankinen
New York Rangers
Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Kaapo Kakko
Artemi Panarin – Filip Chytil – Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle – Vincent Trocheck – Blake Wheeler
Barclay Goodrow – Nick Bonino – Jimmy Vesey
Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox
K’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
Erik Gustafsson – Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Puck Drop Time
This is a 7 p.m. Eastern puck drop from Madison Square Garden. MSG and Bally Sports Nashville will have the feeds of this game. As the Rangers look to bridge the gap with the Carolina Hurricanes, the Predators will be looking to get their season back on track. We will see two teams needing wins urgently fighting for two points.