The New York Rangers are currently riding a three-game win streak in the midst of their West Coast road trip. Before returning to Madison Square Garden on Nov 25, the Blueshirts have two more teams to face.
On Thursday evening, the Rangers take on the Calgary Flames (10-6-3). While the Rangers have been playing well as of late, the Flames could be dangerous.
Widely considered their best player, Rasmus Andersson will easily be Calgary's player to watch in the 9 p.m. EST matchup tonight.
Let's break down No. 4's play style and how he could impact the Rangers on the ice.
Rasmus Andersson
Andersson has played in all 19 games Calgary has played so far this campaign. The defenseman boasts 12 points, including five goals and seven assists.
Building on this, he's also produced six shots on net, 62 blocked shots, 10 PIM and a plus-2 rating over 19 appearances. This production is in line with his two best seasons, setting him up for another good year at 28-years-old.
The matchup against the Rangers will be extra high stakes for him, as Andersson's father Peter (No. 73, 1983) and brother Calle (No. 119, 2012) were each drafted by the New York Rangers.
Andersson himself was selected by the Calgary Flames in the second round as the No. 53 pick of the 2015 NHL Draft. He then signed a three-year contract with the Flames on Sept. 15, 2015.
Calgary is coming off a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders. Andersson was key in helping the flames get the victory — scoring in the third period with a power-play goal to tie the game at 1-1.
This goal was significant for the Sweden native in that it ended his seven-game point drought. The 28-year-old defenseman was red-hot in October before his scoring pace dipped in November.
Coming off this goal last game, Andersson can only be looking to build off it going into his game against the Rangers.
How to Tune in
Puck drop is slated for 9 p.m. EST for the matchup in Calgary. The game will be available for streaming via ESPN+ and be sure to keep up with our Twitter for live updates.