New York Rangers look to clinch a playoff berth when they host Philadelphia Flyers
For the first time, the New York Rangers can clinch a playoff berth with two points. A win over the Philadelphia Flyers will get them into the dance.
By Conor Power
This slogfest for the Metropolitan Division title will continue tonight as the New York Rangers take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Only leading by a single point in the division, this is another game against a playoff hopeful. Philadelphia still sits in the third division spot at the time of this game, but with the lackluster results they have had recently, they will be looking to try and get back in the win column and move in the right direction of getting back into the playoff places.
Erik Gustafsson got an elbow up high in the game against the Florida Panthers, so he missed practice yesterday. Whether he plays tonight is still to be determined. He would be the third defenseman of the Ranger's top six to be missing, with Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba still absent. Both are progressing towards a comeback but will not be factors in this game tonight.
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There is a simple scenario for the Rangers to mathematically punch their ticket to the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight. That is a win. Two points in any fashion will see the Rangers into the playoffs. If the Rangers were to lose tonight, there's still a way for it to happen if the Capitals were to beat the Red Wings in regulation, but the Blueshirts would run the risk of losing the lead at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
Projected Lineups
Philadelphia Flyers
Owen Tippett - Morgan Frost - Travis Konecny
Joel Farabee - Scott Laughton - Bobby Brink
Tyson Foerster - Ryan Poehling - Garnet Hathaway
Noah Cates - Sean Couturier - Olle Lycksell
Cam York - Travis Sanheim
Egor Zamula - Erik Johnson
Adam Ginning - Ronnie Attard
Samuel Errson
Felix Sandstrom
New York Rangers
Chris Kreider - Mika Zibanejad - Jack Roslovic
Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle - Alex Wennberg - Jonny Brodzinski
Jimmy Vesey - Barclay Goodrow - Matt Rempe
K'Andre Miller - Braden Schneider
Zac Jones - Adam Fox
Brandon Scanlin - Chad Ruhwedel
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Puck Drop
This game is a 7 p.m. puck drop from Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers will be looking to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A win tonight will seal it mathematically, and we will see a little x next to the Rangers name in the standings for the remainder of the year. It's going to happen at some point, but there is no time like the present to get things over the line.