New York Rangers host Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden

After a strong performance against the Los Angeles Kings in their last game, the New York Rangers will be looking to try and build on their performance as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto will be coming into this game on the second half of a back to back after playing at UBS Arena on Long Island last night and losing in overtime, but the Rangers will not be able to rest against a team that has gone to overtime more often than they haven't this season.

This could be a really tricky game for the Blueshirts. Toronto has had multiple comebacks from losing positions throughout the year. With all the top end talent the Maple Leafs enjoy, it shouldn't come as a shock to see why the Blueshirts could still be upset in this game if they do not play the full sixty minutes. Toronto's tendancy to comeback in games comes from their poor play through the bulk of the first fourty. If New York can get a lead and take hold of the game, they could win this comfortably.

When these two teams meet, the hockey world watches. The largest market in the US meets the largest market in Canada. Two original six teams going to battle against each other, reveling in the history and magnitude of the occasion. Star talent out of the rear end of both teams, local boys representing both clubs. Where better for a game like this to be held than the theatre that is Madison Square Garden? Stories like this belong on Broadway, after all.

Projected Lineups

Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
Tyler Bertuzzi - John Tavares - Mitch Marner
Nicholas Robertson - Max Domi - Calle Jarnkrok
Noah Gregor - David Kampf - Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly - T.J. Brodie
William Lagesson - Jack McCabe
Simon Benoit - Conor Timmins
Martin Jones
Ilya Samsonov

New York Rangers

Chris Kreider - Mika Zibanejad - Jonny Brodzinski
Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle - Nick Bonino - Blake Wheeler
Jimmy Vesey - Riley Nash - Tyler Pitlick
Ryan Lindgren - Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller - Jacob Trouba
Erik Gustafsson - Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick

Puck Drop

This is a 7 p.m. Eastern puck drop from the most iconic building in all of professional American sports. Two teams with ambitions of collecting the Stanley Cup from Gary Bettman at the end of the season will be trying to get two points closer to mathematical security for their postseason dance. Two teams trying to progress and add to the illustrious history created over the hundred years or so of existence.