Who: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: Sunday night at 7:30 PM
Watch: NBCSN; post-game on MSG Network
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
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The Skinny:
Fans coming to Madison Square Garden Sunday night can likely expect a punishing physical contest as the Rangers (31-18-6, 68 pts) host the Philadelphia Flyers (24-20-10, 58 pts). These two division rivals routinely play these kinds of games, but there is an added level of intensity coming into this one following Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds handing Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh a concussion with a gloved punch to the face last weekend when these teams last met. Both teams are angry with the McDonagh-Simmonds altercation, though only the Rangers will be missing a player Sunday because of the incident as McDonagh remains out with the concussion. Yet at the end of the day, as head coach Alain Vigneault and his players preached Saturday after practice, the one thing that matters most is the two points up for grabs. The Rangers own a ten-point lead over the Flyers in the standings and are 4-0-1 in their last five, coming off Friday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers have not lost in regulation on home ice since December 20, posting a 7-0-2 mark in that stretch, and are 8-3-1 overall since a January 16 shootout win over the Flyers in Philly. The Flyers, meanwhile, have just one win in their last five games overall (1-2-2), starting with the Rangers shootout win last Saturday in Philly. It's desperation time already for the Flyers, who can not afford to lose any more ground within the division following Saturday's 2-1 home-ice overtime loss to the Devils. The Rangers know this and would love nothing more than to pounce on the Flyers early Sunday. While the Derick Brassard-J.T. Miller-Jesper Fast line continues to be New York's most effective in the injured Rick Nash's absence, the Rangers have seen some improved production from Kevin Hayes, who has two goals and three points in the last two games, while Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello combined for four points (2-2-4) in Friday's game with the Kings. Henrik Lundqvist, who rested Friday, will be back between the pipes for New York against the Flyers, starting for the 21st time in the Blueshirts last 23 games. He will be opposed at the other end of the ice by Steve Mason, who was given the day off Saturday as Michal Neuvirth tended goal for the Flyers against New Jersey. In that game Saturday rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere ran his point streak to 11 consecutive games by scoring the tenth goal of his rookie season, and former Ranger defenseman Michael Del Zotto suffered an upper body injury. He will join injured teammate Sean Couturier on the sidelines Sunday.
Head To Head:
For the second time in eight days, and for the fifth and final time this season, the Rangers and Flyers will face one another Sunday at The Garden. Just last Saturday the Rangers rallied to defeat the Flyers 3-2 in a shootout at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Rangers forced overtime on Keith Yandle's goal with just 12.9 seconds to play in regulation, and then won it in the shootout as Henrik Lundqvist denied both Flyers shooters while Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored for New York. Of course that game is unfortunately best remembered for the altercation between Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh and Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds which ended when Simmonds threw a gloved punch to McDonagh's face leaving the defenseman concussed. So far this season the Rangers are 2-1-1 against the Flyers, also winning 3-2 in a shootout down in Philly on January 16, a game in which Lundqvist made 34 saves and then stopped all three Flyers in the shootout. In the only game so far played at MSG on November 28, Steve Mason and the Flyers shut out the Blueshirts 3-0. Simmonds scored twice and added an assist in that game. Prior to that loss the Rangers had beaten the Flyers ten straight times at The Garden dating to March 6, 2011.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Tanner Glass: It was not the start to the season he would have hoped for--scratched the first two games and five of the first seven before being sent to the minor leagues for the first time since the 2008-09 season--but since being recalled from Hartford on December 2 Tanner Glass has played in 29 of 30 games and been a steady, physical performer on the Rangers fourth line. Glass, who was credited with nine hits in Friday's game against the Kings, now is second on the Rangers with 129 hits, just five behind team leader J.T. Miller who has played in 24 more games this season. He leads the team, and is ranked fourth in the NHL, in average hits per game. Glass has added a goal and three assists--including an assist on the game-opening goal by Kevin Hayes Wednesday in Pittsburgh--though it's clear he understands what his role is as Blueshirt. Considering what happened the last time the Rangers and Flyers played, Glass' role will be even more important on Sunday as New York will look to set a physical tone in what has become a very heated rivalry.
Flyers-Jakub Voracek: When these two teams played last Saturday, Jakub Voracek played a monster game for the Flyers, logging a game-high 27 minutes 59 seconds of ice time. He did not score a goal, but did have an assist, led Philly with seven shots on goal and 16 attempted shots, while credited with three hits. It is an example of how much of a forceful player Voracek has become after a painfully slow start to the season. After recording a career-high 81 points last season, the 26 year-old Voracek did not score his first goal this season until November 14. At that point he had only five points in 16 games to start 2015-16, but after time spent in a bottom-six role Voracek turned his play around and was reunited with top-liners Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds in January to positive results. He had a season-best six-game point-scoring streak through the February 6 game against the Rangers in which he notched 11 points. However in the four games since, including Saturday's loss to the Devils, Voracek has picked up just one point. Still the Rangers can expect to see a heavy dose of Voracek Sunday at The Garden.
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: Sunday night at 7:30 PM
Watch: NBCSN; post-game on MSG Network
Listen: ESPN-98.7 FM and NewYorkRangers.com
*****************************
The Skinny:
Fans coming to Madison Square Garden Sunday night can likely expect a punishing physical contest as the Rangers (31-18-6, 68 pts) host the Philadelphia Flyers (24-20-10, 58 pts). These two division rivals routinely play these kinds of games, but there is an added level of intensity coming into this one following Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds handing Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh a concussion with a gloved punch to the face last weekend when these teams last met. Both teams are angry with the McDonagh-Simmonds altercation, though only the Rangers will be missing a player Sunday because of the incident as McDonagh remains out with the concussion. Yet at the end of the day, as head coach Alain Vigneault and his players preached Saturday after practice, the one thing that matters most is the two points up for grabs. The Rangers own a ten-point lead over the Flyers in the standings and are 4-0-1 in their last five, coming off Friday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers have not lost in regulation on home ice since December 20, posting a 7-0-2 mark in that stretch, and are 8-3-1 overall since a January 16 shootout win over the Flyers in Philly. The Flyers, meanwhile, have just one win in their last five games overall (1-2-2), starting with the Rangers shootout win last Saturday in Philly. It's desperation time already for the Flyers, who can not afford to lose any more ground within the division following Saturday's 2-1 home-ice overtime loss to the Devils. The Rangers know this and would love nothing more than to pounce on the Flyers early Sunday. While the Derick Brassard-J.T. Miller-Jesper Fast line continues to be New York's most effective in the injured Rick Nash's absence, the Rangers have seen some improved production from Kevin Hayes, who has two goals and three points in the last two games, while Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello combined for four points (2-2-4) in Friday's game with the Kings. Henrik Lundqvist, who rested Friday, will be back between the pipes for New York against the Flyers, starting for the 21st time in the Blueshirts last 23 games. He will be opposed at the other end of the ice by Steve Mason, who was given the day off Saturday as Michal Neuvirth tended goal for the Flyers against New Jersey. In that game Saturday rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere ran his point streak to 11 consecutive games by scoring the tenth goal of his rookie season, and former Ranger defenseman Michael Del Zotto suffered an upper body injury. He will join injured teammate Sean Couturier on the sidelines Sunday.
Head To Head:
For the second time in eight days, and for the fifth and final time this season, the Rangers and Flyers will face one another Sunday at The Garden. Just last Saturday the Rangers rallied to defeat the Flyers 3-2 in a shootout at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Rangers forced overtime on Keith Yandle's goal with just 12.9 seconds to play in regulation, and then won it in the shootout as Henrik Lundqvist denied both Flyers shooters while Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored for New York. Of course that game is unfortunately best remembered for the altercation between Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh and Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds which ended when Simmonds threw a gloved punch to McDonagh's face leaving the defenseman concussed. So far this season the Rangers are 2-1-1 against the Flyers, also winning 3-2 in a shootout down in Philly on January 16, a game in which Lundqvist made 34 saves and then stopped all three Flyers in the shootout. In the only game so far played at MSG on November 28, Steve Mason and the Flyers shut out the Blueshirts 3-0. Simmonds scored twice and added an assist in that game. Prior to that loss the Rangers had beaten the Flyers ten straight times at The Garden dating to March 6, 2011.
Players To Watch:
Rangers-Tanner Glass: It was not the start to the season he would have hoped for--scratched the first two games and five of the first seven before being sent to the minor leagues for the first time since the 2008-09 season--but since being recalled from Hartford on December 2 Tanner Glass has played in 29 of 30 games and been a steady, physical performer on the Rangers fourth line. Glass, who was credited with nine hits in Friday's game against the Kings, now is second on the Rangers with 129 hits, just five behind team leader J.T. Miller who has played in 24 more games this season. He leads the team, and is ranked fourth in the NHL, in average hits per game. Glass has added a goal and three assists--including an assist on the game-opening goal by Kevin Hayes Wednesday in Pittsburgh--though it's clear he understands what his role is as Blueshirt. Considering what happened the last time the Rangers and Flyers played, Glass' role will be even more important on Sunday as New York will look to set a physical tone in what has become a very heated rivalry.
Flyers-Jakub Voracek: When these two teams played last Saturday, Jakub Voracek played a monster game for the Flyers, logging a game-high 27 minutes 59 seconds of ice time. He did not score a goal, but did have an assist, led Philly with seven shots on goal and 16 attempted shots, while credited with three hits. It is an example of how much of a forceful player Voracek has become after a painfully slow start to the season. After recording a career-high 81 points last season, the 26 year-old Voracek did not score his first goal this season until November 14. At that point he had only five points in 16 games to start 2015-16, but after time spent in a bottom-six role Voracek turned his play around and was reunited with top-liners Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds in January to positive results. He had a season-best six-game point-scoring streak through the February 6 game against the Rangers in which he notched 11 points. However in the four games since, including Saturday's loss to the Devils, Voracek has picked up just one point. Still the Rangers can expect to see a heavy dose of Voracek Sunday at The Garden.
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