On Tuesday, Jan. 21st, New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick and defenseman K'Andre Miller share a birthday.
Quick turns 39, while Miller hits the 25-year-old milestone. But not only is Tuesday the pair's birthday, it also marks the day the Rangers look to extend their eight-game point streak to nine by taking on the Ottawa Senators.
Both teams enter the matchup in similar situations. The Blueshirts carry a season-long eight-game point streak (5-0-3) into the game following a 5-4 overtime loss in Montreal. Similarly, Ottawa has a six-game point streak (5-0-1) and has won two straight.
Here are two other key things to look out for at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers host the Senators.
1. Goaltender Battle
Since returning from a four-game injury absence, Rangers' goaltender Igor Shesterkin is 4-0-1 and only allowed nine goals in five straight starts before birthday-boy Quick got the call Sunday in Montreal. In his most recent start against the Blue Jackets, Shesterkin played a perfect game — stopping all 27 shots through 65 minutes and then all three in the shootout.
For the Senators' goaltenders, Linus Ullmark been out since sustaining a back injury Dec. 22. After as rough stretch without Ullmark, rookie goalie Leevi Merilainen has been excellent for Ottawa. He’s 4-0-1 with eight goals allowed and two shutouts in his most recent five starts.
The Senators brought Ullmark on their road trip, but it’s still unkown which Ottawa player will get the nod to start on Tuesday. For the Rangers, it's been confirmed via Mollie Walker of the New York Post that Shesterkin will start following Tuesday's morning skate.
2. Ottawa Injuries
The Senators have three players with injuries or who recently missed on-ice action. Left wing Cole Reinhardt did not play in Sunday's game against New Jersey. Noah Gregor will be missing in action for a while after suffering the injury in Thursday's (Jan. 9) game against the Buffalo Sabres. Finally, Jacob Bernard-Docker has been placed on injured reserve per the NHL media site. He was injured during practice with a high-ankle sprain and had to be helped off the ice.
The three have a combined 12 points on the 2024-25 season and will likely not be seeing play at MSG.
How to Tune In
The Rangers are back at home at Madison Square Garden. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST against Ottawa and the matchup is available for livestreaming via ESPN+. Be sure to tune into our Twitter for live updates.