Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Wildcard Edition
Having snapped a seven-game point streak with a domestic defeat versus Montreal yesterday, the New York Rangers (3rd in Metropolitan Division) will try to split their current back-to-back set while visiting Columbus, where the local Blue Jackets (8th in Metropolitan) return following a road win in Detroit.
The New York Rangers (24-13-7) snapped a two-game winning run after being dealt their second defeat in the past four fixtures (2-1-1) following a 2-1 setback against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden yesterday. Despite being one of three players who missed Saturday’s practice with a stomach bug, Artemi Panarin (12 goals, 47 points this year) buried the only marker for New York, tying the game at 1-1 with four minutes remaining in the second period before the Habs snatched the win midway through the following frame. With that, the Blueshirts ended an overall seven-game point streak (5-0-2) and a three-game winning run on own ice.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves yesterday and has now gone 20-7-6 for the season with a 2.43 GAA and a .918 save percentage. Jaroslav Halak (4-6-1 for the ongoing campaign with a 2 .85 GAA and a .896 save percentage), though, is expected to patrol the crease in Columbus tonight, having recorded a 15-8-3 past total against the Blue Jackets with a 2.74 GAA and a .912 save percentage. The Rangers, meanwhile, are netting the 16th highest number of goals per game this year (3.16), while giving up the 5th lowest amount defensively (2.66). They are 16th in power play (22.1%) and 13th in penalty kill (79.8%).