RANGERS VS BRUINS GAME DAY PREVIEW 2/7

BATTERED AND BRUISED RANGERS HOST BRUINS AT MSG

New York Rangers (24-23-5) vs Boston Bruins (32-18-2)

TONIGHT 8:00 PM TV: NBCSN RADIO: ESPN NY 98.7 FM

Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

The Rangers come into tonight after a 2-1 loss in Dallas and on a 3 game losing streak, only having won one contest in their last seven. Again the Rangers will be without Pavel Buchnevich, Jimmy Vesey and Marc Staal All down with recent injuries in the last three games and still are without Chris Kreider and Kevin Shattenkirk long term.

The Rangers are in a tough spot right now in the standings sitting in last place of the Metro but only 3 points out of the final wild card spot behind Carlina, Islanders and Columbus who holds the last spot and four points behind Philadelphia who owns the first wild card position.

This is the third and final meeting between the Rangers and Bruins this season. The Rangers have won both contests 4-2 at MSG on November 8 and 3-2 at TD Gardens on December 16. In the first contest Henrik Lundqvist stopped 33 of 35 shots while Jimmy Vesey tallied 2 goals in the game, Pavel Buchnevich and Rick Nash each added a goal in the win. In the second game in Boston Lundqvist again picked up the win with 35 saves. Michael Grabner and J.T. Miller scored goals in regulation time and Mats Zuccarello scored the game winner on the power play in overtime.

The Bruins come in to tonight’s game after a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings last night. Tuukka Rask picked up the win with 26 saves.

Brad Marchand returns to the Bruins lineup tonight after finishing a three game suspension for elbowing New Jersey Devils’ Marcus Johansson.  Marchand leads the Bruns in points (50) and assists (29), Patrice Bergeron leds the team with 22 goals on the season.

Boston has two solid netminders with Tuukka Rask who leads the goaltending tandem with a record of 22-8-0 with a GAA of 2.09 and a SV% of .925 while backup Anton Khudobin is 10-3-0 with a 2.36 GAA and a SV% of .924.

Boston currently sits in second place of the Atlantic Division with 72 points just three behind the first place Lightning. The Bruins have won four of their last five games.

GAME DAY TEAM LEADERS

Rangers

POINTS: Mats Zuccarello 38

GOALS: Michael Grabner 21

ASSISTS: Mats Zuccarello 30

Bruins

POINTS: Brad Marchand 50

GOALS: Patrice Bergeron 22

ASSISTS: Brad Marchand 29