Adam Fox expected to return as Rangers host Red Wings
The New York Rangers are set to face off against the Detroit Red Wings in an exciting matchup on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. When they do, Adam Fox is expected to be back after a stint on the LTIR list caused by an injury on November 2.
New York went 7-2-1 in Fox’s absence but are coming off a rare regulation loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. In addition, the Rangers also lost forward Kaapo Kakko to a lower-body injury. Initial assessments indicate that the 22-year-old will miss a significant period of time, but that the injury is not season ending.
“It’s the nature of the beast inside of hockey,” head coach Peter Laviolette said after the team’s practice on Tuesday. “We’ll get him back at some point, which is good news.”
Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:
New York Rangers (15-4-1) vs Detroit Red Wings (11-6-3)
Date/Time: November 29, 2023 @ 7:30 PM ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden
TV: TNT
Radio: ESPN 98.7 FM
Note: Subject to change, updated for each game
Related: Rangers call up Jonny Brodzinski
New York Rangers Projected Lineup
Significant changes are expected in the Rangers lineup, with star defenseman Adam Fox returning after missing 10 games. Jonny Brodzinski will enter the lineup for the injured Kakko. Igor Shesterkin is expected to be in goal for New York.
Kreider – Zibanejad – Wheeler
Panarin – Trocheck– Lafreniere
Cuylle – Bonino – Brodzinski
Vesey – Goodrow – Pitlick
Lindgren – Fox
Miller – Trouba
Gustafsson – Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Update: Igor Shesterkin will start per Peter Laviolette
Note: The Rangers will have a pre-game skate scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET at the MSG Training Center. Check back for updates.
New York Rangers vs Detroit Red Wings
The Rangers are entering the game with impressive stats, holding a record of 15-4-1, totaling 31 points. This ties them for the most wins in the NHL alongside Colorado, with their points tally equaling that of Vegas and Boston. Their .775 points percentage is currently the highest in the league.
Notably, the Rangers have demonstrated exceptional performance in faceoffs, boasting the best faceoff percentage in the NHL at 55.7%. This is a significant improvement over their historical performances, as they have not finished a season with a faceoff win percentage over 53.3% since the stat began being tracked in 1997-98.
The Rangers’ offensive strength is highlighted by their third-best power play percentage in the NHL at 30.2%, with 19 power play goals, tied for the fourth most in the league. Defensively, they have allowed the third fewest goals per game (2.45) in the NHL and the second fewest total goals (49) in the league. Additionally, the Rangers have been strong on the penalty kill, going 15-for-16 over their last four games, and their 86.2% PK percentage ranks seventh in the league.
The Blueshirts have been particularly strong at home with a record of 6-2-0, and their eight home games tie for the fewest in the NHL to this point. They have also shown dominance against Eastern Conference opponents, with an 8-2-0 record and a 3-1-0 record against teams from the Atlantic Division.
New York also has a strong history against the Red Wings, having earned at least one point in nine of their last 10 games against Detroit (7-1-2) and 16 of their last 18 games dating back to January 22, 2017 (11-2-5 record). At MSG, the Rangers have been particularly dominant against Detroit, earning a point in six-straight games (4-0-2) and in eight of their last nine home contests against the Red Wings (5-0-3).
Key players to watch in this matchup include the captain, Jacob Trouba, who is set to play in his 700th game, and Erik Gustafsson, who is poised to play in his 400th career game.
On the other hand, the Red Wings have an overall record of 11-6-3, totaling 25 points, good for third place in the Atlantic Division. Winners of three straight overall, they’ve shown resilience on the road with a 4-3-1 record.
With their captain and leading scorer, Dylan Larkin, out of the lineup, key players for Detroit include Alex DeBrincat, with 20 points, and Shayne Gostisbehere, who has contributed 18 points as a defenseman. Their power play ranks ninth in the NHL at 22.4%, and their penalty kill is at 78.9%, ranking 16th in the league.
The Red Wings made headlines on Tuesday morning, as they reportedly agreed to terms with star free agent and former Ranger, Patrick Kane, on a one-year, $2.75 million contract. Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, skated in 26 games (7 playoff games) for the Rangers last season, tallying 18 points. Kane is expected to debut sometime next week.
This Original Six matchup promises to be a thrilling encounter between two well-matched teams, with the Rangers looking to maintain their top form and the Red Wings aiming to continue their strong performance on the road.
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