The Rangers take on the Capitals tonight at MSG. Monday’s game marks the NHL debut for Lias Andersson and third game, but first since October, for Filip Chytil, as New York’s 2017 first round draft picks were promoted yesterday. Today’s contest is the next to last home game of the season.
Per Dan Rosen and several others, NYR lines: Kreider-Zibanejad-Fast, Hayes-Chytil-Zuccarello, Vesey-Andersson-Spooner, McLeod-Namestnikov-Buchnevich.
AV said Chytil and Andersson might get some PK time. PP units rolling now so unlikely they get PP time.
The top line stays intact. Hayes, who has been red hot, gets moved to wing with Chytil at center. Andersson slides in as the third line pivotman, shifting Namestnikov down as well as Buchnevich, who now becomes a fourth liner again. Peter Holland and Paul Carey are scratched along with David Desharnais. Cody McLeod is in. My only guess is because Tom Wilson plays for Washington but how much of a deterrent is McLeod and he isn’t on a line with either Andersson or Chytil.
At this point, trying to figure out line combinations and rationale is a futile exercise. I assume substantial mixes and matches will take place over the next seven games, including which players are scratched. So while I have a certain amount of annoyance, it’s mitigated slightly by my expectations of changes for those contests. The goal is to see what Andersson and Chytil can bring and learn in that time, building towards what is hopefully future success. Beyond that, the rest is just gravy.
In continuing what I said last week, here is the run down for the last 16 games of the season. After losing to Winnipeg 3-0 on Tuesday, Tampa 5-3 on Thursday and Florida 4-3 in a shootout Saturday night, New York defeated Carolina 6-3 last night last Monday and Pittsburgh 4-3 in overtime Wednesday. As noted above, St. Louis defeated New York 4-3 on Saturday. The Rangers fell 5-3 Columbus (Tuesday) and Philly 4-3 before defeating Buffalo 5-1 on Saturday, New York this week faces Washington (home-and-road tonight and Wednesday), Tampa (last home game) and Carolina (road) to close out March. In April, New York faces the Devils, Islanders and Flyers, all on the road.
With less than two weeks left in the season, the Rangers sit in 22nd, Edmonton earned a point Sunday and sit in 23rd ties in points with the New York but the Rangers have a game in hand. the Islanders won, The Islanders have also played 75 games, like the Rangers, and sit two points in back of the Blueshirts while Chicago is in 25th, at 71 points in 76 contests. Carolina is in 21st with 77 points in 75 games and Calgary has 80 points in the same amount of contests and sits 20th in the standings, but the Isles have their first round pick from the Travis Hamonic deal.