After scoring eight snipes in Detroit on Thursday, the New York Rangers (4th in Metropolitan Division) are about to nip to Nashville, where the local Predators (7th in Central) return home following two straight defeats on the road.
A three-game losing streak (0-2-1) came to an end for the New York Rangers (7-5-3), who put their latest disappointment of a four-date homestand (1-2-1) to rest following an 8-2 triumph against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday. The Blueshirts opened the scoring with four-and-a-half minutes left in the first period, but had to tie the game at 2-2 midway through the second frame before netting six snipes in the final third, including four in a span of three minutes. Mika Zibanejad (9 goals, 18 points this year) lit the lamp twice for New York, which has won its past three road fixtures.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin made 18 saves on Thursday and has now gone 7-2-2 for the ongoing campaign with a 2.53 GAA and a .909 save percentage. He has won his previous start versus Nashville, stopping 28 of 29 shots faced (1.01 G AA; .966 save percentage), while Jaroslav Halak (0-3-1 on the year with a 3.48 GAA and a .882 save percentage) is 15-4-6 against the Predators historically with a 1.99 GAA and a .927 save percentage. The Rangers, meanwhile, are 15th in least goals scored per game this season (3.13), 11th in least goals allowed on average (2.93), 9th in power play (25.0%; 13-for-52) and 14th in penalty kill (79.6%; 35-for-44).