Tonight it probably one of the biggest games of the year. The Rangers and Blue Jackets have been flip-flopping in the standings for a few months now. This time around, they are jockeying for playoff position –specifically avoiding a date with the Penguins or Bruins in the first round. Should the Rangers win, they will be two points up on CBJ with both tiebreakers, but the Jackets will have a game in hand. This is also Rick Nash’s return to Columbus, so there will be a bit of drama mixed in.
Under Todd Richards, the Blue Jackets run a 2-1-2 forecheck, but with less active defensemen. In the DZ, CBJ uses a low zone collapse, taking out shooting lanes and protecting the house. On special teams, they run a 1-3-1 power play, and a box penalty kill.
Rangers Lineup:
Chris Kreider–Derek Stepan–Rick Nash
Carl Hagelin–Brad Richards–Benoit Pouliot
Martin St. Louis–Derick Brassard–Mats Zuccarello
Brian Boyle–Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo
Ryan McDonagh–Dan Girardi
Marc Staal–Anton Stralman
John Moore–Kevin Klein
Henrik Lundqvist gets the start
Scratches/Injuries: Derek Dorsett (healthy), Ryan Haggerty (healthy), Justin Falk (healthy), Raphael Diaz (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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