New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils renew their rivalry from the Garden tonight
By Conor Power
The New York Rangers, eager to rebound from a recent home defeat against the Pittsburgh Penguins, are set to face off against their long-standing rivals, the New Jersey Devils, at the iconic Madison Square Garden. This clash between the two historic organizations will look to reignite the Hudson River Rivalry, which has been quite fierce this season. Matt Rempe will be a storyline to watch tonight for his play against the Devils earlier in the year.
For New York tonight, Erik Gustafsson was replacing Zac Jones in practice, so he might return to the lineup tonight. He's been out for a while after getting an elbow to the head in the game against the Florida Panthers. While it would be nice to get the Swedish defenseman back into the lineup, some fans have voiced their displeasure at Jones being the one replaced after he has a few great performances filling in while three Rangers defensemen were on the shelf. If he is to sit, he'll get another chance between now and the season's conclusion, so don't worry.
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New Jersey is a team that needs the points to stay in the playoff hunt, as they are just outside the wildcard spots. They need seven points to get into the playoff spots, so they are desperate for anything. When a team comes into the Garden fighting for its life, they tend to come in with some bite. Another slow start with how hot Jake Allen has been in the Devils net could spell trouble for the Blueshirts if they overlook this opponent. They need to start on time and find a way to get the two points.
Projected Lineups
New Jersey Devils
Timo Meier - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt
Jack Hughes - Erik Haula - Alexander Holtz
Ondrej Palat - Tomas Nosek - Dawson Mercer
Kurtis MacDermid - Chris Tierney - Curtis Lazar
Luke Hughes - Nick DeSimone
Kevin Bahl - John Marino
Jonas Siegenthaler - Simon Nemec
Kaapo Kahkonen
Jake Allen
New York Rangers
Chris Kreider - Mika Zibanejad - Jack Roslovic
Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle - Alex Wennberg - Kaapo Kakko
Jimmy Vesey - Barclay Goodrow - Matt Rempe
Ryan Lindgren - Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller - Jacob Trouba
Erik Gustafsson - Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Puck Drop
Tonight's game will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern, with the puck dropping from the most storied building in professional hockey. We know that the Devils are desperate to stay alive in the playoff race, but the Rangers need the points to continue the charge for the Presidents Trophy. Already sitting atop the division with a three-point lead, a loss tonight could open the door to the Carolina Hurricanes again.