It's game day for the New York Rangers, and the Blueshirts will get to see firsthand the aftermath of the recent blockbuster that shook the league as the Rangers host the Colorado Avalanche in a matinee from Madison Square Garden. The bright lights of Broadway will shine on an organization undergoing a chance and looking to return to its former glory in one of the most interesting games of the season tonight when these two teams take to the ice.
If you missed the news, the Colorado Avalanche traded superstar winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for Jack Drury, Martin Necas, and some draft picks. While the deal doesn't look great for the Avs, they're still a dangerous team that can beat the Rangers if they let up. Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon are demons on the ice, and the Rangers will need Igor Shesterkin to shine if they want to avoid a repeat of the loss in Denver.
On the Rangers side, Will Borgen will be playing fresh off his contract extension. Borgen has been a superb fit on the second pairing next to J.T Miller, and the Rangers will be looking for him to continue his success in the iconic Blueshirt. He'll have to be at his best tonight if the Rangers want to get over the line with the two points.
Projected Lineups
Colorado Avalanche
Jonathan Drouin - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas
Juuso Parssinen - Casey Mittelstadt - Artturi Lehkonen
Ross Colton - Jack Drury - Logan O'Connor
Joel Kviranta - Parker Kelly - Chris Wagner
Devon Toews - Cale Makar
Samuel Girard - Josh Manson
Keaton Middleton - Sam Malinski
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood
New York Rangers
Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle - Mika Zibanejad - Reilly Smith
Chris Kreider - Filip Chytil - Arthur Kaliyev
Adam Edstrom - Sam Carrick - Matt Rempe
Ryan Lindgren - Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller - Will Borgen
Urho Vaakanainen - Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Puck Drop
It's a matinee from the Garden today, so it's a 1 p.m. puck drop. Colorado played an early start in Boston last night, so the Rangers will be looking to double down on their misery after the defeat in Beantown. MacKinnon and Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar sounded deflated due to the Rantanen trade, so the Rangers can take advantage of a demoralized organization today if they play up to the level they have set recently.