Photo: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
At this point in the season, it is all but guaranteed that the Rangers and Flyers will meet in the first round of the playoffs. Both teams have a > 95% chance of making the playoffs, with the Rangers at 98%. They have a 69% chance of meeting in the first round. Both teams are red-hot right now, with the Rangers winning four in a row and the Flyers on an 8-2-1 streak. New York is without Chris Kreider for an extended period of time, and this looks to be the exact matchup we will see in the first round.
The Flyers play a 2-1-2 forecheck, and once they get a late lead, they switch to a more conservative 1-1-3 left wing lock. In their own zone, the Flyers play a mix of zone and man-on-man defense, depending on puck location.On special teams, the Flyers run a 1-3-1 and an umbrella power play and a diamond force penalty kill with the strong side forward looking to pressure the point.
Rangers Lineup (unconfirmed, won’t know until game time):
Martin St. Louis-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash
Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Benoit Pouliot
J.T. Miller-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello
Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Derek Dorsett
Ryan McDonagh–Dan Girardi
Marc Staal–Anton Stralman
Raphael Diaz–Kevin Klein
Henrik Lundqvist gets the start
Scratches/Injuries: Chris Kreider (hand), John Moore (concussion symptoms), Ryan Haggerty (healthy), Justin Falk (healthy)
Game time is 8pm on NBCSN. Don’t forget to check out our Rangers Tickets link for deals to attend games
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