New York Rangers have an original six match-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight
Eleven wins from the twelve games post the trade deadline has allowed the Rangers to correct their skids of January with an almost flawless February. However, it's now March and the Rangers will be trying to continue the solid performances of the last month. It won't be easy, as the opponent waiting for the Rangers are the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have won eight of their last nine and are a competent team in their own right.
The may have their newest addition with them tonight after trading for defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Anaheim Ducks. In his second tour of duty with the Buds, Lyubushkin will be someone the Leafs are looking to in order to help fill the gap on the right side of their blueline. As the Rangers look to make sure they get an extra two points to keep the lead ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.
Projected Lineups
New York Rangers
Chris Kreider - Mika Zibanejad - Kaapo Kakko
Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle - Jonny Brodzinski - Jimmy Vesey
Adam Edstrom - Barclay Goodrow - Matt Rempe
Ryan Lindgren - Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller - Jacob Trouba
Erik Gustafsson - Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - Mitchell Marner
Tyler Bertuzzi - Max Domi - William Nylander
Bobby McMann - John Tavares - Calle Jarnkrok
Pontus Hokmberg - David Kampf - Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly - Ilya Lyubushkin
TJ Brodie - Jake McCabe
Simon Benoit - Timothy Liljegren
Ilya Samsonov
Joseph Woll
Puck Drop
This will be a 7 p.m. puck drop from the Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto. Two teams with Stanley Cup aspirations will go toe-to-toe north of the border. Both teams have shown some weakness since the beginning of the new year and both teams have been red hot through the month of February. It'll be a great game tonight, and we will get what could be a playoff series preview.