RANGERS AT KINGS GAME DAY PREVIEW 1/21

RANGERS LOOK TO END ROAD WOES IN LOS ANGELES

New York Rangers (24-18-5) vs Los Angeles Kings (24-17-5)

TONIGHT 10:30 PM TV: MSG RADIO: WEPN 98.7 FM

Staples Center Los Angeles, CA

Tonight the Rangers and Kings meet for the second and final time of the regular season. In their first meeting the Rangers defeated Los Angeles 4-2 at Madison Square Garden back on December 15th. Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Rick Nash and J.T. Miller provided the offense for the Rangers in the contest while Henrik Lundqvist stopped 35 out of 37 shots for the win.

The Rangers are coming off a 3-1 loss in Colorado yesterday to the Avalanche. Already down four key players due to injury the Rangers were also without Michael Grabner who was a late scratch with the flu. Pavel Buchnevich scored the lone Rangers goal on the power play extending his points streak to three games with his second goal in the last two games. Buchnevich has 4 points, 2 goals, 2 assists in his last 3 games.

The Kings come into the contest having lost their last six games dating back to January 6th have a record of 24-17-5, a very similar record to the Rangers having played one less game than New York. Anze Kopitar leads the Kings in all scoring with 18 goals and 29 assists for 47 points on the season.

The Rangers currently sit in the first Wild Card spot in the East, tied in points with 53 but ahead of the Penguins who have played two more games than New York and 2 points behind Columbus for third place in the Metropolitan Division. Los Angeles is 2 points out of the last Wild Card position in the West with 53 points behind Minnesota and Colorado.

With Grabner out with the flu but both Kevin Hayes and Marc Staal being a 50/50 chance of playing tonight there has yet to be a lineup set. Ondrej Pavelec may get the start in the second of back to back games with Henrik Lundqvist having played yesterday in Colorado.

TEAM LEADERS

Rangers

POINTS: Mats Zuccarello 33

GOALS: Michael Grabner 20

ASSISTS: Mats Zuccarello 25

Kings

POINTS: Anze Kopitar 47

GOALS: Anze Kopitar 18

ASSISTS: Anze Kopitar 29