RANGERS VS WILD GAME DAY PREVIEW 2/23

RANGERS HOST WILD LOOKING TO SNAP LOSING STREAK

New York Rangers (27-29-5) vs Minnesota Wild (33-20-7)

TONIGHT 7:00 PM TV: MSG RADIO: WEPN

Madison Square Garden New York City, New York

Coming off a 3-1 loss in Montreal last night the Rangers will look to end a five game losing skid tonight at Madison Square Garden. This is the second of back to back games for New York and for Minnesota.

Stuck right in the thick of things during the trade deadline the Rangers will have to come in focused on their game even through recent and pending trades. Last night both Rick Nash and Michael Grabner were both healthy scratches being held out for pending trades. Grabner was the first to go, announced to go. The speedy winger and team goals leader was sent off to division Rival New Jersey for a prospect and a 2nd round draft pick in the upcoming 2018 Entry Draft. The Nash trade and a possible parting of ways of Captain Ryan McDonagh  sits heavy above the heads of their teammates. A hard task for anyone in the locker room or on the ice to put out of their minds and produce. The Rangers may seen the return of forward Chris Kreider who has been out with a blood clot in his right arm. Wednesday coach Alain Vigneault announced that Kreider was medically cleared and would return for either tonight's game or Sunday against Detroit.

This is the second and final meeting between the Rangers and Wild. Earlier this month the two met in a 3-2 Rangers loss in Minnesota on the 13th. In the contest, rookie Defesmen John Gilmour and Neal Pionk picked up their first NHL points. Gilmour tallied his first goal while Pionk picked up an assist on Kevin Hayes 13th goal of the season. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 26 shots while counterpart Devan Dubnyk stopped 32 shots to thwart the Rangers scoring chances.

The Wild enter tonight’s contest having defeated the Devils last night in New Jersey 4-2. The Wild have won three of their last five dating back to the win over the Rangers on the 13th and including a 5-3 win over the Islanders on Monday. Former Ranger Eric Stl leads the team in points with 53 and goals, 26.

GAME DAY TEAM LEADERS

Rangers

POINTS: Mats Zuccarello 43

GOALS: (*Rick Nash* 18) Mika Zibanejad 17

ASSISTS: Mats Zuccarello 33

*Pending Trade*

Wild

POINTS: Eric Staal 53

GOALS: Eric Staal 26

ASSISTS: Ryan Suter 32