Rangers Host Montreal prior to Stadium Series Game

In the final tune up game before the Stadium Series in Metlife Stadium, the Rangers are on home ice to take on the Montreal Canadiens (7:00PM on MSG).

Rangers	Rankings	Canadiens
34-16-3	Record	22-23-8
5th	League Rank	25th
13th	Goals For	27th
7th	Goals Against	27th
5th	Power play	18th
5th	Penalty Kill	30th

New York is coming off a 2-0 win over the Calgary Flames. The Rangers lone goal came from Will Cuylle in the second period before Jimmy Vesey scored an empty net goal after a great solo effort. The story of the game were both netminders who were simply fantastic for their respective teams. Igor Shesterkin recorded his first shutout of the season making 29 saves, whereas Jacob Markstrom made 29 saves on 30 shots. Both goalies made timely desperation saves during key moments of the game.

Rangers vs Canadiens

Thursday night’s meeting will be the second time the two teams meet this season. Montreal won the first matchup 4-3 in a shootout. The Canadiens were carried on the back of goaltender Sam Montembeault who made 45 saves on the night which remains his most so far this season in a single game. At 4-0-1 lifetime against the Rangers, Montembeault is expected to get the start on Thursday. Nick Suzuki recorded two goals during that Saturday night meeting at the beginning of January. Suzuki currently leads Montreal in points with 51 on the season.

New York will turn to Jonathan Quick for Thursday night’s game as they look to keep him sharp as he has earned more starts with his strong play. The Rangers are currently riding a five-game winning streak with Quick riding a three-game personal winning streak. In those three games, the 38-year-old has allowed a total of just four goals. Despite Shesterkin coming off a shutout, the Rangers will rest him and get him focused for the Stadium Series game coming up with their crosstown rivals on Sunday.

Head coach Peter Laviolette has returned the power-play units back to their original way after a one-game shake up. The first unit for almost the entire season will be reunited as Laviolette tries to get a spark out of them.

“The guys that took us to (top power-play in the league) are the ones that should be out there… We’ve got to get them back on track,” said Laviolette to the media on Wednesday.

Another move made by the Rangers comes in waiving another veteran forward. Nick Bonino was waived prior to the all-star break and now the Rangers waived Tyler Pitlick. Pitlick had a decent start to the season, but ultimately this is about getting a good look at 23-year-old Adam Edstrom. At 6 ‘8, Edstrom has impressed the coaches with the way he plays the game and ultimately they are hoping he can grab a spot in the lineup for the remainder of the season. Pitlick went unclaimed on waivers which means he will report to Hartford. Meanwhile, former Canadien Alex Belzile was recalled from Hartford and will serve as the team’s 13th forward incase of any unavailability in the forward group.

Bet of the Night

The bet of the night is a two-leg parlay. The first leg is for Jonny Brodzinski to record over 1.5 shots and the second leg is the Rangers moneyline. Brodzinski has been over this line in seven of the last eight games and Laviolette told the media on Wednesday, “(Brodzinski’s line is) earning more ice time and they could see it in upcoming games.” New York is currently finding ways to win hockey games so if you pair the two together, you get a nice two-leg parlay. Originally the odds are at +110 but with a 50% profit boost, your odds jump to +165. A $5 bet will payout $13.25 for a profit of $8.25.

Current record: 18-16

Current Money Total (Based on $5 bets) – We are up $20.15 on the season