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Game 8: NYR-CGY, Rangers return to action after three days off |
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After three days off, the Rangers return to action Sunday against the Flames. New York is 2-1-1 in their last four contests and sit at 2-4-1 for the season. Following tonight's game, the Blueshirts take on the Panthers at home Tuesday, before starting a four-game road trip, facing Chicago on Thursday and then heading out for the annual California trip. Calgary comes into today's contest 4-3, riding the Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm trio along with a hot start from Matthew Tkachuk.
The lines for today may be what we saw Wednesday against the Capitals:
Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Jesper Fast
Filip Chytil, Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello
Jimmy Vesey, Brett Howden, Vladislav Namestnikov
Pavel Buchnevich, Ryan Spooner, Vinni Lettieri
The plan right now appears to be to leave Chytil on the wing and hope the pairing of the 19-year old with Hayes and Zucc unlocks his game. Vesey notched a PPG on Wednesday, finally lighting the lamp after several golden chances. The good news is that with 21 shots-on-goal, he has not been shy about putting pucks on net. But like most of the team, finishing those chances has proven to be a challenge.
(update at 5:25pm: Spooner scratched, McLeod in)
New York will have a decision to make on Matt Beleskey soon. Injured in the pre-season and placed on IR, Beleskey ditched the non-contact sweater and participated in his first full practice since suffering a separated shoulder. “Still a little way’s away, so it was good to see him making progress and taking the next step to be able to be out there for practice,” Quinn said. When he is reading to go, if the plan is for him to play in the AHL, Beleskey would need to pass through waivers to be sent down to Hartford. New York might opt to try and pass Cody McLeod (preferable) through waivers to send him down. In addition, Boo Nieves is working his way from a concussion and practiced in a non-contact jersey. Might we see Spooner, who has done little and been outplayed lately by Namestnikov, as a healthy scratch when either Beleskey or Nieves is back if either remains with the team?
The blue line might be:
Brady Skjei-Neal Pionk
Marc Staal-Brendan Smith
Fredrik Claesson-Kevin Shattenkirk
Claesson left practice Saturday with an upper-body injury. Coach David Quinn said it was “nothing long term, just something we have to monitor.” Despite Quinn's downplaying of the injury, the possibility exists Claesson won't play. Claesson has been solid while in the lineup the past four straight games, collecting 12 hits, three blocked shots and a plus-one rating. If Claesson can't go, either Adam McQuaid or Tony DeAngelo will opt in, with my bet on McQuaid, though both he and ADA are right-handed shots, impacting the left righty balance. If it's ADA, you could see him paired with Staal and Smith paired with Shattenkirk.
(update 5:25pm: Claesson scratched with injury, replaced by McQuaid. Not great that DeAngelo isn't in over McQuaid, as it's the fourth straight game he has been scratched. )
Henrik Lundqvist, despite playing back-to-back games this week, likely will be between the pipes. Three days off between games gave Lundqvist plenty of time to be rested for today's contest. Alexandar Georgiev, who was sent down to play for Hartford, should be back for the road trip. Marek Mazanec will back up Lundqvist today.
The power play, which went 2-for-4 Wednesday, had a few slight tweaks in practice yesterday. Zuccarello and Pionk, who were part of the second grouping, were on the ice with the top power-play unit, along with Zibanejad, Kreider and Buchnevich. Previously, Spooner and Shattenkirk were on the top unit. This could make the second unit Vesey, Hayes, Chytil, Howden and Shattenkirk with Spooner the odd man out, replaced by Buchnevich on the top unit and Shattenkirk on the second.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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