Game 51: NJ-NYR
Posted 3:57 AM ET | Comments 0
The matchup tonight at MSG features a Devils (30-19-3) squad that is now surging with big wins over the Flyers, Penguins, and Rangers and are looking for their first five game winning streak of this season versus the Rangers (33-12-5), who coming off of a strong physical performance against the Flyers on Super Bowl Sunday, and are looking to revenge their shootout loss at the Rock last Tuesday.
A key theme in this game is the red hot Devils offense collides with a Rangers team that is second in the league with a GAA on the season under 2. The Devils will look to their two big offensive weapons (Kovi, and Parise) to continue their hot play out of the All Star Break. Kovalchuk has been on a torrid pace in the last four games recording 10 points (3G 7A) and has been a big factor in putting the Devils solidly into the top 8. This has also coincided with a resurgence in the play of good old Marty which if continues can make the Devils a very dangerous team to play.
For the Rangers I believe that tonight will be a the night that Eminger rejoins the defensive core and Bickel despite his strong physical performance in the Rangers win over the Flyers will be a healthy scratch. Since he has been out for an extended period of time I would say it is reasonable that the rest of the defensive pairs stay the same as the previous game and look for Eminger to slide in as Staals defensive partner. As for the forwards it seems at practice Torts was shuffling the lines around (but then again what else is new) but I would look for the GAS line to be given another chance to play together to try and reclaim some of the great chemistry that Gabs,Steph, and AA displayed earlier in the season. I think this is very well possible as AA looks to have regained some of his confidence and has been skating a lot better in the last few games and it finally paid off for him on the score sheet against the Flyers. This in my mind would look for Hags to be paired with Richards and Cally. I do like this combination but i think what makes putting these three together so easy was the success that Boyle Dubi and Prust had together with Dubi himself being able to get on the board. If the Rangers can get back to the offensive success that they were having early in the year and find balance scoring with these lines they truly could be an unstoppable force. Of course look for the King to be in net once again who always seems to be there when everything else breaks down.
Overall I expect a hard fought hockey game that should be a very closely contested matchup. I think if the Rangers can play their style of hockey and produce that timely plays that are seeming to come to define this team they should be able to handle these Devils and come away with a win. Of course all of this comes with the expectation that MSG wont toss the Devils such fortuitous bounces as occurred the last time this team teams encountered each not much more than a week ago.
A key theme in this game is the red hot Devils offense collides with a Rangers team that is second in the league with a GAA on the season under 2. The Devils will look to their two big offensive weapons (Kovi, and Parise) to continue their hot play out of the All Star Break. Kovalchuk has been on a torrid pace in the last four games recording 10 points (3G 7A) and has been a big factor in putting the Devils solidly into the top 8. This has also coincided with a resurgence in the play of good old Marty which if continues can make the Devils a very dangerous team to play.
For the Rangers I believe that tonight will be a the night that Eminger rejoins the defensive core and Bickel despite his strong physical performance in the Rangers win over the Flyers will be a healthy scratch. Since he has been out for an extended period of time I would say it is reasonable that the rest of the defensive pairs stay the same as the previous game and look for Eminger to slide in as Staals defensive partner. As for the forwards it seems at practice Torts was shuffling the lines around (but then again what else is new) but I would look for the GAS line to be given another chance to play together to try and reclaim some of the great chemistry that Gabs,Steph, and AA displayed earlier in the season. I think this is very well possible as AA looks to have regained some of his confidence and has been skating a lot better in the last few games and it finally paid off for him on the score sheet against the Flyers. This in my mind would look for Hags to be paired with Richards and Cally. I do like this combination but i think what makes putting these three together so easy was the success that Boyle Dubi and Prust had together with Dubi himself being able to get on the board. If the Rangers can get back to the offensive success that they were having early in the year and find balance scoring with these lines they truly could be an unstoppable force. Of course look for the King to be in net once again who always seems to be there when everything else breaks down.
Overall I expect a hard fought hockey game that should be a very closely contested matchup. I think if the Rangers can play their style of hockey and produce that timely plays that are seeming to come to define this team they should be able to handle these Devils and come away with a win. Of course all of this comes with the expectation that MSG wont toss the Devils such fortuitous bounces as occurred the last time this team teams encountered each not much more than a week ago.