Rangers Seek Fifth Straight Home Win as they Host the Kings

Rangers	NHL Rankings	Kings
27-11-4	Record	21-16-5
4^th	NHL Standing Rank	15^th
16^th	GF/PG	21^st
3^rd	GA/PG	9^th
8^th	PP%	26^th
5^th	PK%	29^th

Previous Game

The Rangers defeated the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 7-3. Things started off going south as Kaapo Kakko was announced as a late scratch due to an upper-body injury after taking warmups. Things got worse as they clearly had heavy legs and looked very slow in the first period. Ultimately, it was a very disappointing first 28 minutes as the Rangers found themselves trailing 3-1.

Chris Kreider took things into his own hand and changed the tide of the game by scoring a shorthanded goal. With momentum on the Rangers side, the Blueshirts exploded for a five-goal second period. The Rangers would go on to win the game by the score of 7-3, including a hat trick from Kreider. Kreider finished the night tied with Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in goal scoring.

“It’s not an easy thing to do to have a turnaround and get stuck where we were last night and get home late,” said assistant captain Jacob Trouba. “But at the end of the day, this is your job. You work for three hours. Find a way to pull it together and show up.” Trouba had two goals on the night on the way to a comeback victory.

Rangers

Now, the Blueshirts will be seeking payback as they host the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers played the Kings on their recent five-game road trip and they ultimately never got going. Despite, being severely shorthanded including without head coach Gerard Gallant, the Rangers fell short and were defeated 3-1.

The Rangers won’t be at full-strength as Kakko will miss the game. Gallant told the media on Saturday night after defeating the Coyotes, “It’s been going on for a little while.” Gallant said Kakko was day-to-day but said on Monday morning that the Finnish native is now week-to-week. Kakko was placed on the injured reserved list and will now miss at least one week.

Filip Chytil is day-to-day and likely won’t be available for the Blueshirts. Chytil didn’t take part in the morning skate.

Gallant also told the media that one of his defensemen was banged up. There is a sense that Gallant is giving serious consideration to going with seven defensemen for the first time this season. Kevin Rooney could be a candidate to play on both the third and fourth line. With a win on Monday night, the Rangers will record their fifth straight home victory.

Jarred Tinordi was placed on waivers on Sunday by the Rangers. Tinordi cleared waivers and has joined the Rangers taxi squad. Libor Hajek is the likely candidate to play as the seventh defenseman if Gallant leans that way.

Over the past few days, the Rangers have been involved with a lot of trade rumors. While nothing seems to be imminent, it is starting to seem more likely that the Blueshirts will be looking to add to their forward depth. A few players linked to the Rangers in recent days include Tomas Hertl, Jake DeBrusk, and J.T. Miller. They also have been linked to Jakob Chychrun to try and improve their defensive core. Vitali Kravtsov could be a prime candidate to go back the other way in any potential trade.

Kings

The Kings enter this game in a tie for second in the Pacific Division with 47 points. Los Angeles will play the Rangers with almost the exact same lineup as they did in the first meeting. In the first game, the Rangers had no answer for Trevor Moore. Moore was acquired from the Leafs in the same trade that sent Jack Campbell the other way. This is one of those trades that has worked out for both organizations. Moore currently has 19 points on the season and will feel confident heading into Madison Square Garden.

Jonathan Quick will get the starting nod for the Kings. The Rangers faced Cal Petersen the first time in which the 27-year-old made 22 saves on 23 shots. Petersen played on Sunday in New Jersey and will serve as the backup goaltender to the two-time Stanley Cup winner. Quick currently has a .914 save percentage on the season.

Key to the Game

The key to the game will be for the Rangers to attack the Kings early. Los Angeles is playing the second leg of a back-to-back and could have heavy legs as the Blueshirts had against the Coyotes. Attack them early and try to get a lead – especially being without Kakko and Chytil.