The New York Rangers are back in action tonight, taking on the surprising Calgary Flames who, and I can’t believe these words are coming out of my mouth this late in the season, are still in the playoff hunt. With 68 points through 59 games, the Flames are tied with the Kings for fourth in the Pacific Division, but LA has one game in hand. The Flames are also one point behind Minnesota for the second wild card spot. I’m not the only one hoping one of Calgary, Minnesota, or San Jose (68 points) goes on a run to ensure the Kings miss the playoffs, but that’s besides the point.
As for the Rangers, well they aren’t doing too shabby at the moment. They are 25-6-2 over their last 33 games. That’s right, 25-6-2, despite what the underlying numbers say. It is truly amazing, but I’m still cautiously optimistic. A win tonight would put them in a virtual tie for first place with the Isles, but the Isles take on Arizona tonight, so a win will likely just help them keep pace.
What have they done lately?
Calgary is a mystery team honestly. They have a +15 goal differential and are 6-3-1 in their last ten, keeping them in the playoff hunt. However they are in this position despite being a poor possession team, as their USAT% (FF%) has never really been above 50% all season.
The Rangers are the top blue line.
The Flames have been riding an above average PDO (rarely below 100) to this impressive sprint to the finish. It’s actually pretty amazing, since Karri Ramo isn’t known for being a great goalie. In fact, he has just a .904 SV%, meaning their high PDO, pictured below, is probably due to a remarkably high SH%.
The Rangers are again the top blue line.
So let’s look at that SH%:
High SH% for both teams.
The Flames have routinely been above 8% all season, much like the Rangers. The Rangers are trending up at the right time, since they ned their offense to carry the team while Henrik Lundqvist is still out. This is a perfect time for the Rangers to be riding a high SH%, but it’s not unfair to expect a drop in SH% for both clubs.
Flames’ Systems
Bob Hartley has the Flames running a 1-2-2 forecheck that can be used aggressively or conservatively depending on the game situation (time left in period, score, puck location, etc.). In the DZ, Calgary uses a low zone collapse, taking out shooting lanes and keeping things in tight. On special teams, they run a 1-3-1 and a diamond penalty kill.
Flames’ Lines
Johnny Gaudreau-Sean Monahan-Jiri Hudler
Lance Bouma-Mikael Backlund-David Jones
Curtis Glencross-Joe Colborne-Josh Jooris
Mayson Raymond-Markus Granlund-Brandon Bollig
Mark Giordano-T.J. Brodie
Kris Russell-Dennis Wideman
Raphael Diaz-Deryk Engelland
PP1: Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler-Giordano-Brodie
PP2: Raymond-Backlund-Jones-Giordano-Diaz
PK: Bouma, Colborne, Backlund, Granlund, Russell, Wideman, Giordano, Brodie
Karri Ramo gets the start.
Rangers’ Lines
Rick Nash–Derek Stepan–Martin St. Louis
Chris Kreider–Derick Brassard–Mats Zuccarello
Carl Hagelin–Kevin Hayes–J.T. Miller
Tanner Glass–Dominic Moore–Lee Stempniak
*-Oscar Lindberg was called up and will play, but it is unconfirmed who he will be in for.
Ryan McDonagh–Dan Girardi
Marc Staal–Kevin Klein
John Moore–Dan Boyle
PP1: McDonagh, Stepan, Nash, Brassard, Zuccarello
PP2: Boyle, Girardi, Kreider, Hayes, MSL
PK: Stepan, Nash, Girardi, Staal, Moore, Fast, Hunwick, Boyle, Hagelin, Klein, McDonagh, MSL
Cam Talbot is in net.
Scratches/Injuries: Henrik Lundqvist (throat), Jesper Fast (leg), Matt Hunwick (healthy)
Be sure to check out our ticket link if you’re looking for tickets to the game. Game time is 7pm on MSG.
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