NEW YORK RANGERS (4-2-0) VS BOSTON BRUINS (3-3-0)
Madison Square Garden, NYC 8:00 PM. TV: NBCSN, RADIO: WEPN 1050 AM
Tonight the Rangers take on the visiting Boston Bruins at MSG.
The Rangers are averaging 3.67 goals per game, the third-best mark in the early stages of the season. Their speed could give them an edge against a slower Bruins team playing the second half of a back-to-back set on the road.
Rookie Pavel Buchnevich returned to practice yesterday wearing a red no contact jersey but will once again be a scratch for the Rangers dealing with continuing back spasms.
Chris Kreider is not expected to play vs Boston tonight and is still dealing with neck spasms as reported Sunday, he did not take pert in team drills yesterday.
J.T. Miller did not practice, taking a "maintenance" day off.
While the defense pairs remained the same the Rangers ran the lines of Vesey, Stepan, Nash - Buchnevich, Zibanejad, Zuccarello - Grabner, Hayes, Fast - Pirri, Lindberg, Jooris. Whether or not Vigneault rolls with the same lines and pairings from Sunday will be a game time decision according to the coach.
NYR TEAM LEADERS:
GOALS: CHRIS KREIDER 3
ASSISTS: RYAN McDONAGH 5
POINTS: CHRIS KREIDER 7
NYR TEAM STATS/PER GAME AVERAGE
GOALS FOR: 3.7 (Rank #3)
GOALS AGAINST: 2.7 (Rank #11)
SHOTS: 31.1
SHOTS ALLOWED: 25.3
POWER PLAY GOALS: 4
SHORT HANDED GOALS: 0
EMPTY NET GOALS: 3
POWER PLAY GOALS AGAINST: 3
POWER PLAY RANK: 21.1% (Rank #9)
PENALTY KILL: 84.2%
PIM: 40
SAVE%: 88.2%
NYR Alumni Birthday October 26:
Patrick Rissmiller LW (2008-2009)
Today in NYR History October 26:
1977: Steve Vickers scores four goals as the Rangers defeat the St. Louis Blues, 6-2, at MSG.
1980: Anders Hedberg tallies his first hat trick as a Ranger, scoring four goals in a 7-6 Blueshirts victory over the Detroit Red Wings at MSG.
