Photo: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
The Rangers open their post-Olympics schedule against one of the favorites in the Western Conference. The rest of the week doesn’t get much better, as New York has Philly, Boston, and Toronto following the Hawks, all playoff teams. The Rangers will face this schedule without their leading scorer in Mats Zuccarello, and with trade rumors surrounding their captain and top-pairing defenseman. The Hawks are the toughest test, and they are the first to get the shorthanded Rangers.
Joel Quenneville is one of the best coaches in the game. His Hawks play an aggressive 2-1-2 forecheck, keeping the back forward and defensemen ready to jump on turnovers. In the defensive zone, the Hawks play a standard zone defense looking to defend you in layers based on puck location. On special teams, they run a 1-3-1 power play, and a wedge+1 penalty kill.
Rangers Lineup:
Chris Kreider–Derek Stepan–Rick Nash
Carl Hagelin–Brad Richards–Ryan Callahan
Benoit Pouliot–Derick Brassard-J.T. Miller
Brian Boyle–Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo
Ryan McDonagh–Dan Girardi
Marc Staal–Anton Stralman
John Moore–Kevin Klein
Cam Talbot gets the start
Scratches/Injuries: Derek Dorsett (broken leg), Mats Zuccarello (hand), Justin Falk (healthy)
Game time is 7pm on MSG. Don’t forget to check out our Rangers Tickets link for deals to attend games.
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