Game 42: Rangers at Toronto

Standings: Leafs (22-16-5), Rangers (27-10-4)

Leading Scorer: Phil Kessel (24-24-48)

Goaltender: James Reimer (17 GP, 3.01 GAA, .900 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable)

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Wojtek Wolski-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Ruslan Fedotenko-Brian Boyle-Carl Hagelin
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Martin Biron gets the start tonight.

Scratches/Injuries: Mike Sauer (concussion), Jeff Woywitka (foot), Brandon Dubinsky (shoulder)

Preview: The Rangers can’t beat the Leafs this year, so it’s tough to call this a “trap” game. This is their third meeting, and the Leafs have won both meetings. With three All Stars, the Leafs are for real. They have a great offense and pretty solid defense. Goaltending is a concern, but that hasn’t stopped them from shutting down the Blueshirts this year.

The Rangers need to get back on track and show they can beat this team. There is a big possibility that they can meet in the first round of the playoffs, so it’s important to get one on the board in the regular season. It also helps to get a powerplay goal, but let’s aim small here.

Crazy Thought: Biron gets the shutout

Opponent’s Blog: Editor In Leaf

Game time tonight is 7:00pm on MSG2 (listings) and AM1600.

Editor’s Note: None of us are available to watch the game tonight, so there won’t be a recap tomorrow. If someone wants to volunteer to write it, by all means go ahead and do so, and email it to me at shapirodavidm[at]gmail[dot]com.

Game 41 Preview: Rangers vs. Senators

Standings: Senators (23-15-6), Rangers (27-9-4)

Leading Scorer: Jason Spezza (16-28-44)

Goaltender: Craig Anderson (39 GP, 3.08 GAA, .900 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable)

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Wojtek Wolski-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Ruslan Fedotenko-Brian Boyle-Carl Hagelin
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start tonight.

Scratches/Injuries: Mike Sauer (concussion), Jeff Woywitka (healthy), Brandon Dubinsky (shoulder)

Preview: The last time these two teams met, the Rangers were on a roll, and the Senators were just another team that fell victim to the newly minted GAS line. That was on November 9, when the Senators were the surprise team in the East and earning a spot in the playoffs.

Now two months later, the Senators are still in the playoffs because of their high powered offense. The Sens are a bit of a mystery, as they have a negative goal differential and poor goaltending, but yet still remain in the playoff hunt. Their 1-2-2 hybrid trap works for creating turnovers, and they are skilled enough to capitalize when given the opportunity.

Despite their penchant for playing the 1-2-2, the Sens also have another gear they can turn too when needed. It’s how they have been so successful, as they give teams many different looks on the forecheck. This is a dangerous game for the Rangers, but most of them are now. For the first time in recent memory, the Rangers are the team with the target on their backs.

Crazy Thought: Hagelin gets three points.

Opponent’s Blog: SenShot

Game time tonight is 7:00pm on MSG, AM970 and XM213.

Game 40 Preview: Rangers vs. Phoenix

Standings: Coyotes (20-17-5), Rangers (26-9-4)

Leading Scorer: Ray Whitney (14-22-36)

Goaltender: Mike Smith (31 GP, 2.43 GAA, .920 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable)

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Brandon Dubinsky-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Ruslan Fedotenko-Brian Boyle-Carl Hagelin
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start tonight.

Scratches/Injuries: Wojtek Wolski (groin), Mike Sauer (concussion), Erik Christensen (healthy), Jeff Woywitka (healthy)

Preview: The last time these two teams faced off, they needed 59:59.9 to decide the game, when Brad Richards scored with a tenth of a second left on the clock. Don’t expect the same type of drama this time around. The ‘Yotes are still in the playoff hunt despite a negative goal differential, mediocre offense, and mediocre defense. The only aspect of this team that goes beyond mediocre is their goaltending, where Mike Smith has been a great find.

That doesn’t mean the Yotes are a bad team, as they find a way to win and to get points in the standings, which is a great trait to have. I haven’t watched much Phoenix hockey, so it’s tough to really analyze what systems they deploy on a regular basis. My guess, based on the raw numbers, is that they generally use a 1-2-2 hybrid trap, but that’s just a guess based on GF/GA numbers.

The Rangers on the other hand have won four in a row and nine of ten. This is another game where they should win, but they can’t get caught looking ahead to the surprising Senators on Thursday. This is generally where I say this has letdown game written all over it, but the Rangers haven’t had many clunkers this year.

Crazy Thought: Boyle gets a goal.

Opponent’s Blog: Howlin Hockey

Game time tonight is 7:00pm on MSG, AM1050 and XM214.

Game 39 Preview: Rangers at Penguins

Standings: Penguins (20-12-7), Rangers (25-9-4)

Leading Scorer: Evgeny Malkin (15-28-43)

Goaltender: Marc Andre Fleury (31 GP, 2.26 GAA, .910 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable)

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Brandon Dubinsky-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Ruslan Fedotenko-Brian Boyle-Carl Hagelin
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start tonight.

Scratches/Injuries: Wojtek Wolski (groin), Mike Sauer (concussion), Erik Christensen (healthy), Jeff Woywitka (healthy)

Preview: Despite being Sidney Crosby-less, the Penguins are still a pretty good team that wil make the playoffs. They get the job done with a combination of scoring (5th in the conference – 121 goals for) and great defense (3rd in the conference – 100 goals allowed). The Penguins outscore the Rangers on average, but the goal differential favors the Rangers by 11 goals due to the Rangers great defensive play.

The Pens generate offense using that all-too-familiar 2-1-2 forecheck that the Rangers use as well. Despite missing Crosby, the Pens still have a lot of dangerous weapons in Malkin, James Neal, Chris Kunitz, and former Ranger Pascal Dupuis. Puck possession is key to this game, as keeping the puck away from the Pens will limit their scoring chances.

Fleury still has rebound control issues. So for the Rangers to be successful, they will need to crash the net and bury those opportunities. What they can’t do is try to pick corners, miss the net far side, and have the puck circle around for a rush the other way. That’s something they do too often, and the Pens are a team that will make them pay for that mistake.

Crazy Thought: Staal gets a goal.

Opponent’s Blog: The Pens Blog

Game time tonight is 7:00pm on MSG2 (listings here), AM970 and XM213.

Game 38 Preview: Rangers vs. Florida

Standings: Panthers (20-12-7), Rangers (24-9-4)

Leading Scorer: Kris Versteeg (17-21-38)

Goaltender: Scott Clemmensen (9 GP, 3.03 GAA, .890 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable)

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Brandon Dubinsky-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Ruslan Fedotenko-Brian Boyle-Carl Hagelin
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Martin Biron gets the start tonight.

Scratches/Injuries: Wojtek Wolski (groin), Mike Sauer (concussion), Erik Christensen (healthy), Jeff Woywitka (healthy)

Preview: The Southeast Division leading Florida Panthers are STILL a good team. They are a one line offensive machine, but new lines in Miami have them trying to find balanced scoring despite a rash of injuries to their forwards.  The Rangers have done well against the Cats, who are now also without Jose Theodore. Scott Clemmensen gets the start tonight, as he did the last time these two teams. faced each other.

After losing to the Panthers by a score of 2-1 in November, the Rangers have outscored Florida 10-2 in their past two meetings, winning by scores of 6-1 and 4-1 in December. Not coincidentally, the Rangers success against the Panthers has come with the call ups of John Mitchell and Carl Hagelin, who both possess enough speed to stifle the Cats forecheck.

Of course, those injuries to the Panthers help, but it’s not like the Rangers have been without injury either.

Crazy Thought: A powerplay goal would be nice.

Opponent’s Blog: The Rat Trick

Game time tonight is 7:00pm on MSG, AM1050 and XM213.

Winter Classic Preview: Rangers at Flyers

Standings: Flyers (22-10-4), Rangers (23-9-4)

Leading Scorer: Claude Giroux (17-28-45)

Goaltender: Sergei Bobrovsky (14 GP, 2.52 GAA, .910 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable)

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Brandon Dubinsky-Brian Boyle-John Mitchell
Ruslan Fedotenko-Mike Rupp-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start.

Scratches/Injuries: Wojtek Wolski (groin), Mike Sauer (concussion), Steve Eminger (shoulder), Erik Christensen (healthy), Jeff Woywitka (healthy)

Preview:  Another day, another game against the Flyers, of whom the Rangers have defeated twice this season.

But this isn’t just another day. This isn’t just another game against the Flyers. It’s the Winter Classic.

We’ve seen this matchup twice this season, so it’s tough to not know what the Flyers will bring: a balanced scoring attack, good defense despite injuries, decent goaltending (since it’s Bobrovsky and not Mr. OMG-The-Universe-Is-So-Big), and a tremendously physical onslaught. The Rangers have beaten the Flyers twice by playing solid defense, capitalizing on chances, and maintaining puck possession.

The biggest thing for the Rangers is getting that powerplay to function again, as it has been worse than terrible the past 10 or so games. The Flyers are a dangerous team, and the Rangers will need to put home some powerplay goals to beat them for a third time this season.

Crazy Thought: Brad Richards gets a powerplay goal.

Opponent’s Blog: Flyers Fan Central

Game time tonight is 3:00pm on NBC, AM1050 and XM214.

Game 36 Preview: Rangers at Panthers

Standings: Panthers (19-11-7), Rangers (22-9-4)

Leading Scorer: Kris Versteeg (17-21-38)

Goaltender: Scott Clemmensen (7 GP, 2.80 GAA, .890 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable)

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Brandon Dubinsky-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Carl Hagelin-Brian Boyle-John Mitchell
Ruslan Fedotenko-Mike Rupp-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Jeff Woywitka-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start tonight.

Scratches/Injuries: Marc Staal (concussion symptoms), Wojtek Wolski (groin), Mike Sauer (concussion), Erik Christensen (healthy), Tim Erixon (healthy)

Preview:  The Southeast Division leading Florida Panthers are STILL a good team. They are a one line offensive machine, but new lines in Miami have them trying to find balanced scoring despite a rash of injuries to their forwards.

The Rangers have been labeled by many as a hockey club that can’t handle smaller, quicker teams, but that’s not necessarily true anymore. With more speed in the lineup, the Rangers have found ways to beat teams that are quick, including these Panthers by a score of 6-1.

The key, as always is consistency in all three zones. The Rangers have struggled with that the past few games. It’s also important to get some semblance of a powerplay going again, as they haven’t scored in what seems like the month of December.

Crazy Thought: Boyle gets more than 3 offensive zone starts. No, seriously, all he does is start in the defensive zone. Let’s get this guy some offensive chances.

Opponent’s Blog: The Rat Trick

Game time tonight is 7:30pm on MSG, AM1050 and XM214.

Game 35 Preview: Rangers at Capitals

Standings: Capitals (17-15-2), Rangers (22-8-4)

Leading Scorer: Nicklas Backstrom (12-23-35)

Goaltender: Tomas Vokoun (23 GP, 2.75 GAA, .910 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable):

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Brandon Dubinsky-Brian Boyle-John Mitchell
Ruslan Fedotenko-Mike Rupp-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Jeff Woywitka-Stu Bickel

Martin Biron gets the start.

Scratches/Injuries: Marc Staal (concussion symptoms), Wojtek Wolski (groin), Mike Sauer (concussion), Sean Avery (healthy), Erik Christensen (healthy), Tim Erixon (healthy)

Preview: The last time the Rangers played the Caps, they lit up Michal Neuvirth en route to a 6-3 spanking. That was one of the last games Bruce Boudreau coached for the Caps, who supplanted him with Dale Hunter, who has not had much success. The Caps are playing .500 hockey since the replacement of Boudreau with Hunter, and the biggest issue is the lack of production from Alex Ovechkin, who has just 25 points in 34 games this season. This is a far cry from the usual Ovechkin that dominates the score sheet.

Under Boudreau, the Caps played a 1-2-2 hybrid trap, but it wasn’t really built to the strengths of the team. Their strength has always been in their forecheck, then using their skill. I haven’t watched enough post-Boudreau Caps hockey to know if Hunter is still using the 1-2-2, or if he switched back to the 2-1-2 forecheck (what the Rangers use).

The Caps are still a dangerously skilled team, and when given the room can light any team up. The Rangers succeeded in containing the Caps last game, but will need to do it again to make it six wins in a row.

Crazy Thought: One of Dubinsky or Boyle scores. Seriously, one of them needs to score.

Opponent’s Blog: Rock The Red

Game time tonight is 7:30pm on Versus, AM1050 and XM214.

Game 34 Preview: Rangers vs. Islanders

Standings: Islanders (11-16-6), Rangers (21-8-4)

Leading Scorer: Matt Moulson (16-12-28)

Goaltender: Evgeni Nabokov (11 GP, 2.85 GAA, .910 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable):

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Brandon Dubinsky-Brian Boyle-John Mitchell
Ruslan Fedotenko-Mike Rupp-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Tim Erixon-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start.

Scratches/Injuries: Marc Staal (concussion symptoms), Wojtek Wolski (groin), Mike Sauer (concussion), Sean Avery (healthy), Erik Christensen (healthy), Jeff Woywitka (foot – game time decision)

Preview: The Islanders are again awful, but at least trending in the right direction. They have solid young players, but they are still very young, and don’t have much help. The defense is horrible, the goaltending is a mess, and the special teams are far from special. This team, in essence, stinks.

As Suit said for the last preview, the Islanders are most dangerous as a transition team that capitalizes off turnovers. They do forecheck, and they can cause turnovers when it’s effective, so that’s something to watch for.

This game has let down game written all over it. A struggling Islanders team and a Rangers club that has won four in a row. This is one of those games where anything short of two points is a let down. The Isles always play the Rangers tough, and there will be some chirping going on in this game. The Rangers will win if they avoid sinking to the Isles’ level.

Crazy Thought: Not a single fight occurs in this game. Crazy, I know.

Opponent’s Blog: NY Islanders Fan Central

Game time tonight is 7pm on MSG, AM1050 and XM214.

Game 33 Preview: Rangers vs. Flyers

Standings: Flyers (21-8-4), Rangers (20-8-4)

Leading Scorer: Claude Giroux (17-26-43)

Goaltender: Ilya Bryzgalov (24 GP, 2.87 GAA, .900 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable):

Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik
Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan
Brandon Dubinsky-Brian Boyle-John Mitchell
Ruslan Fedotenko-Mike Rupp-Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Tim Erixon-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start.

Scratches/Injuries: Marc Staal (concussion symptoms), Wojtek Wolski (groin), Mike Sauer (concussion), Sean Avery (healthy), Erik Christensen (healthy), Jeff Woywitka (foot)

Preview: The Flyers were banged up, and received bad news when Chris Pronger was said to be out for the year. But with the bad comes the good, as Claude Giroux came back and recorded four points in his return from his concussion. The Rangers are even more banged up, with three guys that were afterthoughts in the preseason getting significant playing time on the blue line. The last time these two teams squared off, the Rangers won 2-0 and the footage was used as a preview/introduction to the 24/7 series on HBO.

This game will be a lot like the last game, but expect the Flyers to come out with more snarl. This is, afterall, the big lead-in game to the Winter Classic and the final 24/7 episode. The Flyers definitely have more skill than the Rangers, especially with the recent rash of injuries. However, the Rangers do match up well with the Flyers, as both are grinding teams that play a physical game.

Jaromir Jagr is back in the lineup for the Flyers, which means even less backchecking by a team that struggles with forwards playing defense. Danny Briere appears to be out, so let’s call that a wash from the last time these two teams met. A win tonight and a loss by the Bruins means the Rangers take over first place in the Eastern Conference. They know what’s on the line.

Crazy Thought: Someone showboats for the cameras.

Opponent’s Blog: Flyers Fan Central

Game time tonight is 7pm on MSG, AM1050 and XM214.

Just a scheduling note: none of us are around to get the recap, so there won’t be one posted tonight. We may get one tomorrow night. If you want to write a guest recap and email it to us, by all means go for it.