Who: New York Rangers vs. Anaheim Ducks
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: Tuesday night at 7:00 PM
Watch: MSG Network beginning at 6:30 PM
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
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The Skinny:
The Rangers (19-12-4, 42 pts) play their final game before the Christmas holiday break Tuesday night at The Garden when they host the Anaheim Ducks (), and there is no question that the one present head coach Alain Vigneault and his team want most is a victory and the two points that comes with it. Victories have been hard to come by for the Blueshirts, who have lost three in a row following Sunday's 7-3 home-ice defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals, a game which saw New York skate to a 3-1 lead before surrendering the final six goals to allow a total of seven for the second time this season, and incredibly the second time in ten days. Overall New York has won just one of its last seven matches (1-5-1, and three of its last 14 (3-9-2), and the club has surrendered 17 goals in its last three games and 29 in its last five defeats. Henrik Lundqvist who had been sitting on a sterling 1.99 GAA entering play on December 11 now has a 2.43 GAA just 11 days later. Lundqvist played only two periods of Sunday's loss, allowing five goals on 24 shots, giving way to rookie Magnus Hellberg who surrendered goals on the first two shots he faced in his Broadway debut. The team would benefit greatly on defense if Kevin Klein could return from an oblique injury which has caused him to miss the previous ten games, but it remains 50-50 at best that Klein will play Tuesday. Dan Girardi will sit out his fifth straight game with a knee injury; and Vigneault has yet to indicate which forward will be the healthy scratch up front. Viktor Stalberg was scratched Sunday, while Oscar Lindberg was scratched the game prior in Winnipeg. On a more positive note, J.T. Miller continues to play well of late. His goal Sunday was his second in as many games and third in the last five. Dan Boyle also scored Sunday and has a pair in his last two contests and four in the last seven games. Speaking of scoring, it is something that the Ducks have struggled mightily to do this season. Shockingly, the team which features Cory Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, and Jakob Silfverberg among others has scored the fewest total goals in the NHL, with Getzlaf being limited to just one so far this season and with Perry the only player in double figures, having scored ten goals. Anaheim started the season with just one victory in its first ten games (1-7-2), and even with a four-game winning streak in early November the Ducks are still mired in last place in the Western Conference, and are tied for last overall in the entire NHL. Just a year ago the Ducks won 51 games and totaled 109 points--tied for tops in both categories out west, making what has happened thus far this year completely shocking. The Ducks come in Tuesday having lost three of their last four games, including Monday's 5-2 defeat against the Islanders in Brooklyn. They have scored two goals or fewer in seven consecutive games and in nine of their last ten.
Head To Head:
This is the first of two meetings between the Rangers and Ducks this season, the next coming on March 16 out in Anaheim. The Rangers have won four of their last five home games against the Ducks and have earned at least one point in seven of their last ten games overall against Anaheim (6-3-1). Last year the Rangers wept the season series with the Ducks, winning out west 4-1 on January 7 and then 7-2 on March 22 at Madison Square Garden. J.T. Miller led the way with four points (1-3-4) in the two games against the Ducks last season. In that game on March 22 at The Garden, the Rangers tallied a season-high seven goals, driving Frederik Andersen from the nets in the process. Derek Stepan paced the attack with two goals and an assists, while Keith Yandle contributed three helpers in the big win.
Players To Watch:
Rangers- Rick Nash: Though he did have an assist, Rick Nash is coming off a fairly quiet game Sunday against the Capitals, and with the Rangers struggling so mightily right now, the team could really use a big-time performance from their star forward. As Alain Vigneault has stated repeatedly during the team's recent funk, the Rangers need their best players to be their best players, and certainly that is a call to arms for Nash, the Blueshirts' most explosive offensive threat. Nash does have two goals and four assists over the club's past six games, though five of those points were bunched together in two games--a three-point outing on December 11 in Edmonton and a two-point effort, including the game-winning goal, four days later at home against the Oilers. Consistent scoring is needed from Nash, who is tied for third on the team with ten goals and who stands alone as the club's third-ranked scorer so far with 24 points in 33 games played. He has had excellent results against the Ducks throughout his career, recording 19 goals and 36 points in 36 games against Anaheim. He has picked up at least one point in 14 of his last 15 games against the Ducks, including in seven straight games. Certainly the Rangers are hoping his success against Anaheim continues Tuesday night at MSG on a night the home team could really use its star forward to be among the best players on the ice.
Ducks- Carl Hagelin: The popular former Rangers forward returns to MSG for the first time since being traded to Anaheim at the NHL Draft this past June. At the time of the deal, Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton expressed his appreciation for all Hagelin had meant to the success of the Rangers since 2011-12 and shared that if not for salary cap restrictions the 27 year-old speedy Swede would still be playing in New York. Nonetheless it has been an extremely difficult transition for Hagelin, who has scored just three goals and totaled only eight points in 32 games to date, while posting an uncharacteristic -10 plus/minus rating--this coming off a 17-goal, 35-point, +18 campaign a year ago on Broadway. Hagelin had not scored a goal since November 16--a span of 15 games--but he broke through against the Islanders Monday night rifling a rebound of his own shot past Jaroslav Halak in the first period.
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: Tuesday night at 7:00 PM
Watch: MSG Network beginning at 6:30 PM
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
*******************************
The Skinny:
The Rangers (19-12-4, 42 pts) play their final game before the Christmas holiday break Tuesday night at The Garden when they host the Anaheim Ducks (), and there is no question that the one present head coach Alain Vigneault and his team want most is a victory and the two points that comes with it. Victories have been hard to come by for the Blueshirts, who have lost three in a row following Sunday's 7-3 home-ice defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals, a game which saw New York skate to a 3-1 lead before surrendering the final six goals to allow a total of seven for the second time this season, and incredibly the second time in ten days. Overall New York has won just one of its last seven matches (1-5-1, and three of its last 14 (3-9-2), and the club has surrendered 17 goals in its last three games and 29 in its last five defeats. Henrik Lundqvist who had been sitting on a sterling 1.99 GAA entering play on December 11 now has a 2.43 GAA just 11 days later. Lundqvist played only two periods of Sunday's loss, allowing five goals on 24 shots, giving way to rookie Magnus Hellberg who surrendered goals on the first two shots he faced in his Broadway debut. The team would benefit greatly on defense if Kevin Klein could return from an oblique injury which has caused him to miss the previous ten games, but it remains 50-50 at best that Klein will play Tuesday. Dan Girardi will sit out his fifth straight game with a knee injury; and Vigneault has yet to indicate which forward will be the healthy scratch up front. Viktor Stalberg was scratched Sunday, while Oscar Lindberg was scratched the game prior in Winnipeg. On a more positive note, J.T. Miller continues to play well of late. His goal Sunday was his second in as many games and third in the last five. Dan Boyle also scored Sunday and has a pair in his last two contests and four in the last seven games. Speaking of scoring, it is something that the Ducks have struggled mightily to do this season. Shockingly, the team which features Cory Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, and Jakob Silfverberg among others has scored the fewest total goals in the NHL, with Getzlaf being limited to just one so far this season and with Perry the only player in double figures, having scored ten goals. Anaheim started the season with just one victory in its first ten games (1-7-2), and even with a four-game winning streak in early November the Ducks are still mired in last place in the Western Conference, and are tied for last overall in the entire NHL. Just a year ago the Ducks won 51 games and totaled 109 points--tied for tops in both categories out west, making what has happened thus far this year completely shocking. The Ducks come in Tuesday having lost three of their last four games, including Monday's 5-2 defeat against the Islanders in Brooklyn. They have scored two goals or fewer in seven consecutive games and in nine of their last ten.
Head To Head:
This is the first of two meetings between the Rangers and Ducks this season, the next coming on March 16 out in Anaheim. The Rangers have won four of their last five home games against the Ducks and have earned at least one point in seven of their last ten games overall against Anaheim (6-3-1). Last year the Rangers wept the season series with the Ducks, winning out west 4-1 on January 7 and then 7-2 on March 22 at Madison Square Garden. J.T. Miller led the way with four points (1-3-4) in the two games against the Ducks last season. In that game on March 22 at The Garden, the Rangers tallied a season-high seven goals, driving Frederik Andersen from the nets in the process. Derek Stepan paced the attack with two goals and an assists, while Keith Yandle contributed three helpers in the big win.
Players To Watch:
Rangers- Rick Nash: Though he did have an assist, Rick Nash is coming off a fairly quiet game Sunday against the Capitals, and with the Rangers struggling so mightily right now, the team could really use a big-time performance from their star forward. As Alain Vigneault has stated repeatedly during the team's recent funk, the Rangers need their best players to be their best players, and certainly that is a call to arms for Nash, the Blueshirts' most explosive offensive threat. Nash does have two goals and four assists over the club's past six games, though five of those points were bunched together in two games--a three-point outing on December 11 in Edmonton and a two-point effort, including the game-winning goal, four days later at home against the Oilers. Consistent scoring is needed from Nash, who is tied for third on the team with ten goals and who stands alone as the club's third-ranked scorer so far with 24 points in 33 games played. He has had excellent results against the Ducks throughout his career, recording 19 goals and 36 points in 36 games against Anaheim. He has picked up at least one point in 14 of his last 15 games against the Ducks, including in seven straight games. Certainly the Rangers are hoping his success against Anaheim continues Tuesday night at MSG on a night the home team could really use its star forward to be among the best players on the ice.
Ducks- Carl Hagelin: The popular former Rangers forward returns to MSG for the first time since being traded to Anaheim at the NHL Draft this past June. At the time of the deal, Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton expressed his appreciation for all Hagelin had meant to the success of the Rangers since 2011-12 and shared that if not for salary cap restrictions the 27 year-old speedy Swede would still be playing in New York. Nonetheless it has been an extremely difficult transition for Hagelin, who has scored just three goals and totaled only eight points in 32 games to date, while posting an uncharacteristic -10 plus/minus rating--this coming off a 17-goal, 35-point, +18 campaign a year ago on Broadway. Hagelin had not scored a goal since November 16--a span of 15 games--but he broke through against the Islanders Monday night rifling a rebound of his own shot past Jaroslav Halak in the first period.
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