Quick Starts as Rangers Begin Road Trip in Seattle

Following yet another disappointing game, the Rangers begin a five-game western conference road trip beginning in Seattle (10PM on MSG).

Rangers	NHL Rankings	Kraken
2-2-0	Record	1-3-1
23^rd	NHL Standing Rank	24^th
21^st	GF/PG	28^th
12^th	GA/PG	19^th
8^th	PP%	14^th
27^th	PK%	6^th

Previous Game

The Rangers are coming off their third straight disappointing game. New York got thrashed in Columbus, followed by a so-so performance in a win over the Coyotes. On Thursday, New York generated little offense and were decisively beaten 4-1 by Nashville.

“All around was not good enough to win a hockey game,” said Rangers captain Jacob Trouba. “That is not a game we felt we deserved to win at all. Definitely our worst game of the season so far to this point.”

Igor Shesterkin was pulled from a game for the first time this season. Shesterkin was beaten four times on 18 shots. Jonathan Quick stopped all nine shots in a relief appearance for his first action as a Ranger.

“It was not a reflection of a move against him,” said head coach Peter Laviolette. “It is a chance to get Jonathan some work.”

Rangers vs Kraken

Quick will not have to wait long for his first start as the veteran goaltender was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate on Saturday. The morning skate is usually a good indicator on which goalie will start.

The Blueshirts will stick with the same lineup they went with on Thursday night. Tyler Pitlick and Zac Jones are expected to remain healthy scratches.

“I think sometimes you need an opportunity to respond and you need to go back out there,” Laviolette said on Saturday’s lineup. “It is a chance for those guys to go back out, play a better game, feel better about their game.”

The Kraken are coming off their first win of the season after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 on Thusday. Seattle was winless in their opening four games. Last season, the Kraken made the playoffs for the first time and they won a round against the Colorado Avalanche.

Seattle will be without their big checker in Brandon Tanev. Tanev is currently out of the lineup for four-to-six weeks after suffering a lower-body injury in their opening game against Vegas. Tanev is currently signed through next season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Leading the Kraken in points is Vince Dunn with five points. Oliver Bjorkstrand is the only other Kraken player to have more than two points.

Phillip Grubauer will be looking for his first win of the season. The starting goaltender for Seattle is 0-3-0 to start the season with a .909 save percentage.

Looking to get off the mark is Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad currently does not have a goal to his name through the first four games of the season. The Blueshirts need the Swedish center to get on the scoresheet as he is one of their biggest scoring threats – especially on the power-play. Zibanejad recorded 39 goals in the 2022-2023 season.

Bet of the Night

The bet of the night is for Artemi Panarin to record over 2.5 shots against the Kraken. Panarin has been over this in every game so far this season and with the Rangers coming off an off game – look for the Rangers to simplify their game and get shots on goal against a team that has allowed at least three goals in four of the five games this year. This bet comes with -115 odds and a $5 bet will pay $9.34 on Draftkings.

Last bet: The last pick was a hit as Fox recorded a power-play point. Our quest to going .500 or better currently remains intact.

Current record: 3-1

Current Money Total (Based on $5 bets) – We are up $22.40.