Points streaking New York Rangers return home to take on Jets
The New York Rangers are back at Madison Square Garden for some home cooking as they take on the Winnipeg Jets.
After blowing out the Carolina Hurricanes, the Blueshirts struggled on their trip through Western Canada but still managed to beat the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, before falling to the Calgary Flames in OT.
In each one of those games, the Rangers gave up goals the first period to fall behind but managed to rally and extend their point streak to ten games (8-0-2).
“I think we should start better,” Vladimir Tarasenko noted on Saturday. “This was the second game in a row we understand this. It’s nice to win games when you’re coming back, but you should play better in the start… Everybody knows that we can play better and I don’t think everybody is satisfied with the result today.”
Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:
New York Rangers (33-14-9) vs. Winnipeg Jets (34-21-1)
Date/Time: February 20, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden
TV: MSG
Radio: ESPN 98.7
New York Rangers home to face Jets
Prior to the Rangers successful road trip where they went 3-0-1, they rattled off five straight wins at the Garden in the middle of this current point streak that began on January 23. Overall, the team has been strong at home this season with a record of 16-9-4 including eight wins in their last 10 home games
Per the Rangers, if they can pick up at least a point tonight, it will be their first streak of 11 games or more since they went 11-0-2 back in 2015.
When the Blueshirts take the ice tonight, a familiar face will be in the lineup. On Sunday, the Rangers re-acquired forward Tyler Motte for Julien Gauthier and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2023.
Motte, who was acquired at the last trade deadline for a fourth-round pick registered two goals in the Rangers run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021-22. He’s expected to take Gauthier’s spot on the fourth line.
In goal, Igor Shesterkin should return to the pipes. Despite allowing three goals or more in five consecutive games, the 27 year netminder has won four in row and has points in five of his last six (5-0-1).
For his career, Shesterkin is 3-0-0 against the Jets. He also a boasts a GAA of 0.69, and a .983 save percentage.
The Rangers have been red-hot offensively during this streak, which has helped both goalies during this ten-game point streak.
Here’s how they rank in the NHL from 1/23 to 2/20:
- Wins – 8 (tied 1st)
- Points – 18 (1st)
- Points% – .900 (1st)
- GoalsFor – 45 (1st)
- GF/GP – 4.50 (tied 1st)
- PP% – 36.4 (2nd)
The hottest Ranger coming into action tonight is Artemi Panarin, who has managed 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) in his last seven straight games. Mika Zibanejad is also hot with 8 goals and 11 points in his last seven games (he was kept off the scoresheet against the Flames).
Newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko is also getting acclimated slowly but surely. In five games with the Rangers, he has two goals and an assist.
As for the Rangers opponent, the Jets are coming off a bad loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night. Winnipeg squandered a lead in the third period and failed to register a point.
The Rangers need to expect an angry Jets team that is only four points behind the Dallas Stars for first-place in the Central Division.
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