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The New York Rangers will begin their stretch of three crucial games this week when they host the rival New York Islanders tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Blueshirts sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 36-30-4 and a total of 76 points heading into this contest. After collecting two gigantic points in a 3-2 shootout win on Saturday in San Jose, the Rangers will look to build on that and hopefully begin a winning streak that goes beyond just two games for the first time in months. That would enable them to widen the gap between themselves and the teams chasing them, and at the same time gain some ground on the sixth place Montreal Canadiens. As we've come to find out, though, the task is not as easy as it may sound.
With the Islanders playing exceptional hockey in the second half of the season, the Rangers will undoubtedly face a big challenge in this tilt. They cannot afford to take a period off or come out flat as they tend to do in games against teams lower than them in the standings. They need the points, especially with Carolina and Buffalo both in action tonight as well, and there is no greater feeling for a hockey club than to steal two very meaningful points from a divisional rival.
Rangers Lineup:
Prospal - Christensen - Gaborik
Dubinsky - Anisimov - Callahan
Avery - Stepan - Zuccarello
Fedotenko - Boyle - Prust
Staal - Girardi
McCabe - Eminger
McDonagh - Sauer
Lundqvist
Johnson
Scratches: Wojtek Wolski, Matt Gilroy, Martin Biron (fractured collarbone)
Henrik Lundqvist absolutely loves facing the Islanders. He thrives on the pressure to perform that the rivalry brings with it and as we know, Hank enjoys playing in pressure situations. He was outstanding in Saturday's victory and as I said before, was one of the biggest reasons the Rangers came out of that game victorious. The Isles are quick to the puck and have a fast transition, so do not be surprised if King Henrik faces multiple odd-man rushes tonight.
By the way, anyone notice that Henrik was sporting a new mask on Saturday? It was pretty flashy - literally.
Forward Brandon Prust, per head coach John Tortorella, was questionable for this game as of Monday when he took off from practice for a "maintenance day". I am pretty confident that Prust will be in the lineup despite being a little banged up, because he is a pure warrior and a little soreness is not going to keep him sidelined. If he does end up sitting, it will probably be the decision of Tortorella making him do so, but even that is doubtful. If that does happen, Sean Avery will jump in his spot on the wing.
Erik Christensen has routinely come off of big nights with poor follow-up performances. However, I am wondering if the fact that his roster spot is on the line will keep the fire under him burning. Christensen was exceptional offensively in his first game back from being a healthy scratch against the Sharks, but it means nothing if he does not give the coach some consistency. He will again skate with Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal; two players who I think fed off Erik's energy in the last game.
The player to watch, though, is Brandon Dubinsky. This kid has that look in his eye that nothing is going to stop him right now. For the past week or so, he has been dominant in every aspect of the game. He's scoring, he's hitting, he's fighting, but most of all, he is leading. The Rangers seem to jump on Brandon's back when he is going, and I can assure you, he is going right now.
Wojtek Wolski will be a healthy scratch tonight while Sean Avery will be back in the lineup. This is the first game since being acquired from Phoenix that Wolski will not be playing in.
On defense, Matt Gilroy will be scratched tonight and Steve Eminger will be back in. Why? Well your guess is as good as mine.
Scouting the Islanders:
The Islanders are in fourteenth place in the Eastern Conference at the moment, and are eleven points out of a playoff spot. Despite only winning four of their last ten, they have managed to at least get a point in eight of those games, which is why they have made a sudden climb in the standings. Along with the Devils, they are one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League in 2011 and a lot of that has to do with their mentality that, at this point of the season, they have nothing to lose.
Like the Rangers, they are a young hard-working hockey team. Their actual style of play differs from that of the Rangers', but the basic principles are pretty much the same. The difference between the two clubs is that one has the entire world on its back right now while the other is just out there to have fun. I think it's quite clear who's who in this situation, so I don't feel the need to clarify.
Jack Capuano's Islanders are playing loose right now and this, in a way, has helped the emergence of their kids. John Tavares has arguably been their best player in the second half, as he leads the team in scoring with 25 goals and 57 points. P.A. Parenteau and Matt Moulson have also been cashing in, as those two each have 45 points on the season. Oh and don't neglect that rookie by the name of Michael Grabner. Yeah, remember him from the All-Star skills competition? Fastest skater - ringing a bell yet? Well apparently he has hands to go along with those powerful legs because he is only two goals short of 30 on the year.
Former Ranger prospect Al Montoya has been the icing on the cake with his tremendous play between the pipes for the Isles. He is expected to get the start tonight.
The Rangers are 3-1-0 against the Islanders this season, and 2-0-0 when facing them at the Garden.
Opponent Blog: Lighthouse Hockey
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