After last night’s disappointing home opener, the Rangers are on Long Island to take on the Islanders. The Isles will be debuting their new toy tonight, as Thomas Vanek will skate with John Tavares. It was an interesting deal that brought Vanek to Uniondale, as they sent Matt Moulson to Buffalo –along with 1st and 2nd round picks– for the upgrade on wing. Makes you wonder if they will ever address their goaltending issues.
The Isles run an aggressive 1-2-2 forecheck and a 1-1-3 lock depending on the score, which they use to counter other teams mistakes. In the defensive zone, the Isles play man-on-man, so expect our defense to get pressured along the blueline. Look for blown coverages, as this Isles team is still a bit raw on defense. On special teams, the Isles run a 1-3-1 power play and a hybrid penalty kill.
Rangers Lineup (unconfirmed):
Chris Kreider–Derek Stepan–Brad Richards
Benoit Pouliot-Derick Brassard-J.T. Miller
Carl Hagelin-Dominic Moore-Mats-Zuccarello
Taylor Pyatt-Brian Boyle-Derek Dorsett
Ryan McDonagh–Dan Girardi
Marc Staal–Anton Stralman
Michael Del Zotto-John Moore
Cam Talbot gets the start
PP1: Del Zotto-Richards, Kreider-Stepan-Brassard
PP2: McDonagh-J. Moore, Pouliot-Miller-Boyle
Scratches: Rick Nash (concussion), Ryan Callahan (thumb), Brandon Mashinter (healthy), Justin Falk (healthy)
Game time is 7:30pm tonight. Don’t forget to check out our Rangers Tickets link for deals to attend games.
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