The Rangers continue their exhibition games tonight at home against the Devils. The two teams will meet again tomorrow in New Jersey. New York then will go on the team bonding trip to Rhode Island before returning to game action Wednesday versus Boston.

Lineup for tonight:

Forwards:
Kreider - Zib - Blais
Laf – Chytil – Kakko
Othmann – Khodorenko – Gauthier
Gettinger – Henriksson – Edstrom

Defense:
Lindgren – Fox
Hajek – Bartkowski
Scanlin – Welinski

Goalies:
Igor
Lindbom

The key from above is that Alexis Lafreniere, who left Tuesday’s game with 5:50 remaining after getting hit in his lower right leg by a Hunter Skinner shot, is in the lineup. He practiced this morning, showing no ill effects, and will skate on the Kid Line. Sammy Blais gets another shot on the top line with Zib and Kreider.

Brennan Othmann is certainly getting a long look as he tries to remain with the parent club rather than heading back to juniors. I wonder if Artemi Panarin makes his preseason season debut tomorrow or coach Gerard Gallant saves him for the last two exhibition games when the lines will be more settled.

Power play combinations tonight:
PP1: 93-20-24-72-23
(Zib-Kreider-Kakko-Chytil-Fox)

PP2: 91-12-13-78-55
Blais-Gauthier-Laf-Othmann-Lindgren)

Expect some cuts either before or shortly after tonight’s game. Tomorrow should feature a few more players who are looking to earn or solidify roster spots, Vesey, Hunt etc. as the team looks to start making final decisions. Gallant likely already has in mind who will be his top-12 but the 13th/14th forward, if they keep two, are up in the air as are the sixth/seventh d-man.

As a reminder, I am out of pocket Tuesday late-afternoon to Wednesday evening. Then, the two subsequent weeks, I will be unavailable Sunday night to Tuesday night for the remainder of the Jewish holidays. This info will be posted at the bottom of almost every blog over the next few weeks so that everyone remains in the loop.

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