Oh hockey, how we missed you.
Oh how I missed hockey. The season always starts at the perfect time of the year. The weather is almost perfect. It isn’t quite that busy time of the year at work yet (for most people). Pumpkin everything. And of course a frozen, black, vulcanized piece of rubber hits the ice all across the continent. It’s truly amazing.
The Rangers open their season tonight in Chicago to take on the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks. It seems like the Rangers always open against a team with a banner raising, and we will need to sit through one before puck drop tonight as well.
What have they done lately?
The Hawks had to gut their team in the offseason, trading or losing a good number of their championship core from last season. Brandon Saad is in Columbus. Brad Richards is in Detroit. Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya are in Dallas. Kris Versteeg is in Carolina. And Antti Raanta is in New York. That’s a lot of turnover, as the Hawks now have to deal with eight-digit salaries for Toews and Kane. Bryan Bickell just cleared waivers, but is in the lineup tonight.
That said, they still have a solid group of players, and are the defending Cup champs. Just because there is turnover, doesn’t mean they are a pushover.
Hawks Systems
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.
Hawks Lines
Teuvo Teravainen-Jonathan Toews-Marian Hossa
Artemi Panirin-Artem Anisimov-Patrick Kane
Bryan Bickell-Andrew Shaw-Kyle Baun
Andrew Desjardins-Marcus Kruger-Ryan Garbutt
Duncan Keith-Brent Seabrook
Trevor Daley-Niklas Hjalmarsson
Trevor van Riemsdyk-David Rundblad
Corey Crawford gets the start.
Rangers Lines
Rick Nash–Derick Brassard–Mats Zuccarello
Chris Kreider–Derek Stepan–Kevin Hayes
Viktor Stalberg–Oscar Lindberg–J.T. Miller
Dominic Moore–Jarret Stoll–Jesper Fast
Ryan McDonagh–Dan Girardi
Marc Staal–Dan Boyle
Keith Yandle–Kevin Klein
Expected PP1: Stepan, Brassard, Kreider, Nash, Yandle
Expected PP2: Miller, Hayes, Zuccarello, Boyle, McDonagh
Expected PKers: Stepan, Nash, Fast, Moore, Lindberg, Girardi, McDonagh, Staal, Boyle, Klein
Henrik Lundqvist is in net.
Scratches/Injuries: Emerson Etem (healthy), Tanner Glass (healthy), Dylan McIlrath (healthy)
Crazy Prediction: Lindberg scores the first Rangers goal of the season.
Be sure to check out our ticket link if you’re looking for tickets to the game. Game time is 8pm on NBCSN. All GIFs will be on nyrgifs.com.
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