Who: New York Rangers vs. Winnipeg Jets
Where: MTS Centre
When: Friday night at 8:00 PM
Watch: MSG+ beginning at 7:30 PM
Listen: ESPN 1050 AM and NewYorkRangers.com
The Skinny:
The
Rangers (19-10-4, 42 pts) did not start this quick mid-Western trip off
the way they would have liked with a 5-2 loss Thursday night in
Minnesota. Luckily for them, they don’t have a long wait to right the
wrongs from 24 hours prior as they visit the Winnipeg Jets (14-15-2, 30
pts) tonight.
New York fell behind early and then
lost goaltender Antti Raanta to a head injury midway through the opening
period, turning a scheduled night off for Henrik Lundqvist into a near
full day’s work. The Rangers trailed by two until late in the second
period when Dominic Moore scored with about nine seconds remaining to
trim the deficit to one, but that was as close as they’d get. Minnesota
would score three in the third to walk away with the victory.
The
Rangers have had success this season in the second game of back-to-back
sets, going 5-2-1 through eight opportunities, and are 15-3-2 in their
last 20.
The loss of Raanta Thursday night could
force the Rangers to making a roster move to free up cap space to recall
a goaltender if Raanta — as expected — is unable to suit up in
Winnipeg. The positive for the Rangers is that head coach Alain
Vigneault said Thursday that both Derek Stepan and Kevin Klein could be
available against the Jets, though the bench boss said Stepan was more
likely than Klein at getting reinserted into the lineup. Stepan has been
out since Nov. 27 with broke ribs, while Klein has been sidelined with a
strained oblique.
The Jets enter Friday’s action
seventh in the Central Division, and are coming off back-to-back losses
against Chicago and St. Louis, most recently Tuesday at home.
Winnipeg
is led offensively by right winger Blake Wheeler, who has 10 goals and
19 assists for 29 points through the team’s 31 games, including two
power play and shorthanded goals a piece. The Jets are strong down the
middle, with Mathieu Perreault, Bryan Little and Mark Scheifele each
having at least 21 points. On the blueline, Dustin Byfuglien leads the
way with 20 points in 31 games.
Goaltending has
been a weak point thus far for Winnipeg, as the duo of Ondrej Pavelec
and and Michael Hutchinson have struggled with the bulk of the work,
going a combined 10-13-2. Rookie Connor Hellebuyck has become the No. 1
netminder since he was recalled right after Thanksgiving, winning his
first four starts. The 2012 fifth-rounder has been in net for each of
the last two Jets losses, and currently sits 4-2 overall with a 2.16
goals against average and a .924 save percentage.
Head-to-Head
Friday
marks the second and final meeting between the Rangers and Jets this
season, with the first — a 4-1 Jets win — coming back on Oct. 13 at
Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers have had
success against the Jets since the team moved from Atlanta to Winnipeg
for the 2011-12 season, picking up a point in eight of the 12 games with
a 7-4-1 record. The Rangers are even better in Manitoba, going 4-1 at
MTS Centre since the organization moved north of the boarder. The games
have been close, though with seven of the last nine meetings overall
being decided by two goals or fewer.
Players to Watch
Rangers-
Dylan McIlrath: The big blueliner will get his first opportunity to
play in front of family and friends in his hometown of Winnipeg Friday
night. McIlrath has seized the opportunity that presented itself when
Kevin Klein was injured several weeks ago, and has given the coaching
staff confidence to insert him onto the ice in big situations, including
on the penalty kill. No. 6 has even chipped in offensively, picking up
an assist last weekend in Edmonton and adding his first goal Tuesday
night against the Oilers. McIlrath has seen his icetime increase as of
late, playing more than 18 minutes in two of his last three games, while
his 15:13 in Calgary was more than his 14:57 average.
Jets-
Dustin Byfuglien: One of the most imposing players in the NHL,
defenseman Dustin Byfuglien is off to another strong start for the
Winnipeg Jets this season with eight goals and 20 points through 31
games. The 30-year-old is a physical blueliner with one of the hardest
shots in the NHL, and possesses a nasty streak that few in the League
rival. After a five-game point streak to close out November and open
December, Byfuglien posted a three-point night against Columbus a week
ago, but has been held off the scoresheet the past two against Chicago
and Detroit. The big bruising defender is a minutes-eater, appearing in
fewer than 20 minutes a night just twice, and neither time was below
19:50 of icetime. In 18 career games against the Rangers, Byfuglien has
three goals and nine points.
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