Even though the Rangers lost on Tuesday against Tampa Bay, they played a pretty strong game. They are still 8-3-1 in their last 12, and are still in prime playoff contention. Wins and points are clearly the most important thing here, but their strong effort against Tampa in the loss was a positive sign that they haven’t lost their game. Detroit is a potential wild card opponent, so this is another four point swing game.
Mike Babcock has his boys playing a 2-1-2 forecheck, but mix in a LW lock depending on game situation. In their own zone, Detroit plays a straight up zone defense. On the PP, the Wings employ an umbrella and a 1-3-1 formation, but will use Zetterberg as a rover. Keep an eye on him. He’s all over the zone. On the penalty kill they change up their strategy depending on the opposition’s setup.
Rangers Lineup:
Chris Kreider–Derek Stepan–Rick Nash
Carl Hagelin–Brad Richards–Ryan Callahan
Benoit Pouliot–Derick Brassard–Mats Zuccarello
Brian Boyle–Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo
Ryan McDonagh–Dan Girardi
Marc Staal–Anton Stralman
Michael Del Zotto–John Moore
Henrik Lundqvist gets the start.
Scratches/Injuries: Derek Dorsett (broken leg), Justin Falk (healthy)
Game time is 7pm tonight on MSG2. Don’t forget to check out our Rangers Tickets link for deals to attend games.
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