Fansided

Rangers Continue to Face Adversity as they Host the Minnesota Wild

By Conor Power |
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 10: Goaltender Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers makes a save during the game against the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 10: Goaltender Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers makes a save during the game against the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 10: Goaltender Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers makes a save during the game against the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 10: Goaltender Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers makes a save during the game against the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

This New York Rangers roster has done a lot right to start the 2023-24 NHL season. With a 9-2-1 record, the Blueshirts are flying early in the year and have the lead at the top of the Metropolitan Division. However, the injury bug has bitten the Broadway club recently, and they will be looking to continue to their excellent start with a growing list of absentees for the team.

The most recent addition to the New York Rangers’ list of injuries is goaltender Jonathan Quick. He was listed as day-to-day after the win against the Detroit Red Wings. With both he and Igor on the shelf with some soreness, it will be right-handed catching netminder Louis Domingue who will get the nod for the Rangers. If he looks backward at times, that’s because he is among the few righty-catching goalies in the NHL.

As for the Rangers opponent tonight, this isn’t the same Wild roster the Blueshirts saw in St Paul a few days ago. With the addition of Zach Bogosian and the trade of Calen Addison, this will again be a team trying to prove it can compete with the best teams in the NHL. The last time these two teams met, the Rangers chased Filip Gustavsson and lost, so it will be necessary for both teams to get that early lead.

Former Rangers Vinni Lettieri and Mats Zuccarello will return to Madison Square Garden. Lettieri recently scored his first Minnesota Wild goal with his grandfather commentating on the game, which is an extraordinary story. For Zucc, every Ranger fan loves this player. He proudly wore the Blueshirt and never failed to get fans out of their seats. Hopefully, tonight, he stays off the scoresheet in his old home.

Projected Lineups

Minnesota Wild

Kirill Kaprizov – Marco Rossi – Matt Boldy
Marcus Johansson – Ryan Hartman – Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Foligno – Joel Eriksson Ek – Pat Maroon
Brandon Duhaime – Connor Dewar – Vinni Lettieri

Jonas Brodin – Brock Faber
Jake Middleton – Dakota Mermis
Daemon Hunt – Zach Bogosian

Marc-Andre Fleury
Filip Gustavsson

New York Rangers

Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Blake Wheeler
Artemi Panarin – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle – Nick Bonino – Kaapo Kakko
Jimmy Vesey – Barclay Goodrow – Tyler Pitlick

K’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
Ryan Lindgren – Erik Gustafsson
Zac Jones – Braden Schneider

Louis Domingue
Dylan Garand

Puck Drop

This will be a 7 p.m. Eastern drop from Madison Square Garden in the home end of these two games with their Western Conference opponent. As I mentioned, the Wild won the last game 5-4 in the shootout after the Rangers scored three goals in seven minutes to chance Filip Gustavsson before blowing that lead in and losing in the shootout. There’s a golden chance here to make amends.

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