The Rangers return from a two-game sweep of their road trip to face the Devils at home Sunday. New York has enjoyed home cooking, going 10-4-1 at MSG, while the Devils have struggled away from the Rock, at just 4-8-4 on the road and 3-4-3 in their last 10 games. With 29 games played, New York has played just under 35% of their season, so while we aren't hitting the home stretch, it's clear it's no longer early in the year. Add in that the game is against a divisional rival, and it takes on more import.
From the NY Daily News, updated by me through Saturday's game:
Entering Sunday's slate of games, the Rangers (19-9-1) are tied for the lead in the Metropolitan Division with Pittsburgh, who have a game in hand, each team at 39 points. That total is two points behind Montreal, who also has played just 28 games, for the conference lead. The 39 points are just two points ahead of the red- hot Flyers and four points clear of Washington, each of whom hold down a Wild Card spot. In addition, New York is nine points ahead of New Jersey, who the Rangers host tonight at the Garden in the first of four meetings between the local rivals this season. The Devils (12-9-6) have two games in hand on the Rangers, adding additional intrigue for tonight's game.
Before Thursday’s game the Rangers were 0-7-1 this season when scoring less than three goals. With such wins Thursday and Friday, New York is now 2-7-1 in games scoring less than three games. The two keys? Antti Raanta’s sterling play in both contests and defensive improvement, combating a string of injuries up front. The defense still is a work-in-progress and by no means a strength, but either because Raanta was in net or just a coincidence, the play by the blue was better in the past two games, especially Friday's.
The lineup tonight will be the same as it was Friday:
Grabner-Hayes-Miller Kreider-Stepan-Zucc Hrivik-Lindberg-Fast Vesey-Pirri-Jensen
McD-Girardi Staal-Holden Skjei-Klein
Raanta
The key name there is Raanta. In beating Winnipeg on Thursday, Raanta stopped 17 of 18 shots, and then Friday, he posted a 26-save shutout. The sturm and drang over starting Raanta is that keeps Henrik Lundqvist on the bench.
Here is my quick take, which I said a lot on twitter today: Lundqvist has admitted he is struggling. You have a hot goaltender who by starting results in little drop off right this moment. Lundqvist could use the extra time to work with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire on his technical issues and focus while between the pipes. In addition, why does sitting Hank always have to be a referendum on the mistakes made with the defensive lineup last year and this year? They can be mutually exclusive and just because a mistake has been made, should it be compounded by another one? AV did screw up by not playing McIlrath last year over a struggling Dan Girardi. Same this year for Adam Clendening over Kevin Klein. Maybe there is a blind spot there that needs to removed.
Sitting Hank doesn't mean that AV believes that the goaltender is less important than the defense. Yes, Hank has had to be stellar because of the weak D, and when he hasn't been, the team has struggled. But not all of the goals allowed by Lundqvist have resulted from weak D, several have been his issue. So while he has bailed the team out, stopping shots that for others would be goals, he has to be criticized when allowing goals that should be stopped. Therefore, if an option exists to give Lundqvist more time to right his game, which he has done in the past, including in 2013-14 during the Cup Finals run, why not utilize it?
Before noon today, Josh Jooris was claimed off waivers by Arizona. His placement there yesterday is a further indication that New York is happy with the recent play of Oscar Lindberg. In fact, the line Marek Hrivik, Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast was the Rangers' best Friday, notching 13 of the team's 37 shots, including 12 by Lindberg and Fast. In the pas three games, Lindberg, who may have needed more time to be ready after May hip surgery, has won 19 of 36 faceoffs (52.7 percent), with 11 shots on goal and four hits. Last season, Lindberg, 25, had 13 goals and 28 points in 68 games last season, a plus-12 rating which was tied for second among NHL rookies, and delivered 138 hits.