The Rangers are in Boston for Black Friday as they take on a Bruins team that has won four of their past five games (1:00 P.M. ET, ABC).
Rangers | NHL Rankings | Bruins |
12-4-3 | Record | 10-6-0 |
7th | NHL Standing Rank | 20th |
16th | GF/PG | 13th |
9th | GA/PG | 12th |
12th | PP% | 7th |
20th | PK% | 11th |
Previous Game
The Rangers were victorious in their last game by the score of 4-1 over the New York Islanders. It was the first game between the two New York teams in the Islanders’ new arena. Chris Kreider and Kevin Rooney each recorded two goals for the Blueshirts. Ryan Reaves recorded two assists including a nifty backhanded pass to Rooney.
“That’s their (Fourth line) job,” said head coach Gerard Gallant. “That’s what we want them to do. They keep it simple; they work hard – they go to the net.”
Meanwhile, Alexis Lafreniere recorded his first career fight. After the game, Lafreniere said it was the first fight in hockey at any level.
“It’s like we’re in the movie Interstellar, a parallel universe, I don’t know what was going on,” said Reaves on Lafreniere and Adam Fox fighting.
Rangers
The Blueshirts will now travel to Boston riding six wins in the past seven games. Gallant’s team holds a strong record of 7-3-2 on the road to start the season. In the previous game, Gallant opted to shake up the top-six despite the offense recording five goals against Buffalo. It was a risky move that paid off. Kaapo Kakko moved to the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Kreider while Dryden Hunt was placed on the second line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. Hunt has a similar style to former Rangers Jesper Fast and could be that complementary piece for the duo. Strome and Kakko now have point streaks of six and five games.
Igor Shesterkin wasn’t busy on Wednesday as he only faced 21 shots. Expect Shesterkin to get the start in Boston during a crucial afternoon game. These two original-six teams could be fighting for a playoff spot as the season comes to an end. The next time these two teams play will be a home-and-home at the end of the season during games 79 and game 80.
Bruins
To this point, the Bruins have a record of 10-6-0. The biggest offseason change in Boston comes in the form of their goaltending. Tuukka Rask is currently unsigned after underdoing offseason surgery while Jaroslav Halak is in Vancouver. Boston no longer has a clear-cut starting goaltender as Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark are splitting the starts almost straight down the middle. Swayman broke out last season in Boston going 7-3 with a .945 save percentage. This season, Swayman is 6-3 with a .914 save percentage. Ullmark was signed as a free agent to a four-year contract worth an average of five million per season. Ullmark is currently 4-3 with a .908 save percentage. Expect Swayman to get the nod for the Bruins with Ullmark dealing with a minor injury.
While Boston is undergoing changes in the net, they still have arguably the best line in the NHL consisting of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak. In 16 games, Bergeron has 15 points, Pastrnak has 17 points, and Marchand has 21 points.
The other massive change in Boston is that David Krejci is no longer with the Bruins as he opted to return to Europe to play in the Czech league. The 35-year-old played his first game with the Bruins during the 2006-2007 season. With Krejci wanting to play closer to home and his family, the Bruins are hoping that Charlie Coyle can fill the void on the second line. Coyle is currently on the second line with Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno. Coyle currently has eleven points in 16 games.
What to Watch
It will be important to keep an eye on the Rangers’ start to the game. In an afternoon game, teams can come sluggish and just not be ready. It is very important that the Rangers don’t let the early start time put them off their game as afternoon games often can.
Another thing to watch for is the physicality and grit in this game. Both teams have plenty of players that like to throw the body and get under the skin of the opposition.
Projected Lineup
Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko
Panarin-Strome-Hunt
Lafreniere-Chytil-Gauthier
Rooney-Goodrow-Reaves
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Nemeth-Lundkvist
Shesterkin