RANGERS AT STARS GAME DAY PREVIEW 2/5

RANGERS LOOK TO SALVAGE ROAD TRIP IN DALLAS

New York Rangers (24-22-5) vs Dallas Stars (30-19-4)

TONIGHT 8:30 PM TV: MSG, RADIO: ESPN NY 98.7 FM

American Airlines Center, Dallas TX

The Rangers enter tonight’s game in Dallas with the lineup and the future of the current roster in question. With the possible loss of both Marc Staal and Jimmy Vesey due to concussion protocol after head shots to both in the 5-2 loss in Nashville on Saturday the Rangers recalled winger Vinni Lettieri from Hartford to fill in the forwards role while Steven Kampfer may see a return to the lineup if Staal is unable to go.

The slumping Rangers have lost 5 of their last 6 games and currently sit tied for last place in the Metro with the Islanders at 55 points but are only 2 points out of a tie for the last wild card spot with Philadelphia who has 57 points on the season.

The Rangers will have to face the odds and pull together to put together a solid game in order to gain any points especially amid trade rumors with only 21 days until the trade deadline is upon us. Pending free agents Rick Nash and Michael Grabner have been the center of trade speculation anlong with restricted free agents Mats Zuccarello and Captain Ryan McDonagh. The next few games should determine whether the Rangers will be sellers or buyers at the deadline.

As stated above the lineup is in question as the Rangers cancelled their scheduled practice yesterday in Nashville opting to wait and travel to Dallas later in the day. So most likely the lineup and goaltending will be decided midday today after practice if not up until a game time decision which Alain Vigneault has done throughout the season.

This is the second and last meeting between the Rangers and Stars. The Rangers lost the first contest at MSG 2-1 in the shootout back on December 11th. Rick Nash scored the lone regulation goal in the third period with under five minutes to go to send the game into overtime then eventually to the shootout. Mats Zuccarello tallied the only shootout goal for New York while Ondrej Pavelec surrendered tallies to Alexander Radulov and Jason Spezza. Pavelec stopped 45 of 46 shots on goal between regulation and overtime while counterpart Kari Lehtonen stopped 25 Rangers shots.

Dallas who sits in 4th place in the Central comes in off a 6-1 home win against Minnesota on Saturday and have won 3 of their last five games. Alexander Radulov leads the Stars in points with 50 while Tyler Seguin leads in goals scored with 25. Ben Bishop has backsopped the majority of the Stars games this season and holds a record of 21-14 with a 2.48 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

TEAM LEADERS

Rangers

POINTS: Mats Zuccarello 38

GOALS: Michael Grabner 21

ASSISTS: Mats Zuccarello 30

Stars

POINTS: Alexander Radulov 50

GOALS: Tyler Seguin 25

ASSISTS: John Klingberg 44