Intro stuff here
How to watch New York Rangers vs. Minnesota Wild
When: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV: MSG
Stream: Gotham Sports App
Radio: ESPN New York, 98.7 FM
Projected Lineups
New York Rangers
Artemi Panarin -- Mika Zibanejad -- Alexis Lafrenière
Will Cuylle -- J.T. Miller -- Connor Sheary
Juuso Parssinen -- Noah Laba -- Taylor Raddysh
Adam Edstrom -- Sam Carrick -- Matt Rempe
Vladislav Gavrikov -- Adam Fox
Matthew Robertson -- Will Borgen
Carson Soucy -- Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Minnesota Wild
Kirill Kaprizov -- Joel Eriksson Ek -- Matt Boldy
Marcus Johansson -- Marco Rossi -- Vladimir Tarasenko
Marcus Foligno -- Ryan Hartman -- Vinnie Hinostroza
Yakov Trenin -- Danila Yurov -- Tyler Pitlick
Jonas Brodin -- Brock Faber
Zeev Buium -- Jared Spurgeon
Jacob Middleton -- David Jiricek
Filip Gustavsson
Players to Watch
Alexis Lafrenière
The Rangers' 2020 first overall pick is having a rough start to the season with just a goal and assist through seven games played. He's second on the team in total shots with 21, and has had some good chances that just haven't found the back of the net. Per Evolving-Hockey, Lafrenière has a 59.7 GF%, a 52.72 CF%, and a 56.17 xGF% to start the season, and those numbers generally would lead to better NHL dot com numbers. The aggressiveness has been encouraging to see, and tonight would be a good night for the team's budding winger to get back on the score sheet.
Igor Shesterkin
Shesterkin has been a superstar to open the season for the Blueshirts, and looks like a player who wanted to turn the page on last season in a big way. He is currently Evolving-Hockey's leader in goals saved above average, and his mark of 8.04 put him nearly three goals ahead of Scott Wedgewood who is sitting in second with a GSAA of 5.08. Shesterkin is also leading in goals saved above expected (7.09), and he is doing well by the traditional NHL dot com metrics as well. He is also the leader in goals against average of 1.00, and at the top of the table with a .962 save percentage through five games.
Adam Fox
Bill Guerin is the president of hockey operations and general manager for the Minnesota Wild, but he's also the general manager for Team USA at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Guerin had some critical comments about Fox's 2024-25 season and his performance for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and it has led to people suggesting Fox may not be in the mix for the Olympics in February.
Fox has a line of 3-3-6 to start the season for the Blueshirts, and also is rocking a 73.78 GF%, a 54.66 CF%, and a 56.09 xGF% per Evolving-Hockey. I would expect Fox to play with some extra effort to prove his detractors wrong, and send a not so subtle message to Guerin in the process.