New York Rangers Daily: Important Blueshirts homestand; Mikko Rantanen likely not being traded again
The New York Rangers largely did what they needed to coming out of the break with a soft schedule, taking four of six points, despite a bad loss to the Buffalo Sabres and plenty of uneven play.
Things get a bit harder Friday at Madison Square Garden. They take a step up in class with the Toronto Maple Leafs coming to town. And the Rangers will do so without their best defenseman, Adam Fox, in the lineup. He’ll be watching from the press box nursing an upper-body injury that landed him on IR for a while.
It’s fair to say that the Rangers need to be far better Friday than they were against the Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins or even the New York Islanders, whom they thumped 5-1 on Tuesday. The Rangers won that game handedly, despite not getting much from their top players. It’ll be all hands on deck against the Maple Leafs, who are not only good, but motivated since they’re fairly desperate to finish first in the Atlantic Division. Right now, Toronto is one point behind the Florida Panthers but have two games in hand.
Desperate is a word that hasn’t been used often enough when discussing the Rangers on-ice play this season. They could use more urgency and compete in their game, certainly on Friday, but throughout the rest of the regular season.
The Rangers are tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind both the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets, who are tied for the two wild-card spots. After the game Friday, the Rangers play a pair of weaker teams — the Nashville Predators and Islanders again — before facing the top team in the East, the Washington Capitals.
That will conclude an important four-game homestand ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline. It’s another crucial stretch woven into a string of important games the rest of the way with the Rangers trying to claw their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Make no mistake, a win Friday would go a long way to strengthening the feeling that these Rangers are indeed a worthy playoff team.
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New York Rangers news
The Rangers plan to replace injured defenseman Adam Fox “collectively,” including going with five forwards on the top power-play unit.
After spending the past two months primarily as a healthy scratch, Zac Jones gets his opportunity in the Rangers lineup with Fox injured.
Fox’s upper-body issue spurred our John Kreiser to recall five infamous injuries in Rangers history.
You know who’s playing the best hockey of his young Rangers career? Matt Rempe, that’s who.
Check out Rangers legend Mike Richter and current Blueshirts forward in their new video to promote an NHL-themed clothing line.
NHL news
Reports are that the Carolina Hurricanes will hold onto star forward Mikko Rantanen for the rest of the season even is he doesn’t agree to a new contract ahead of the March 7 trade deadline. Rantanen, who was acquired last month from the Colorado Avalanche, is a pending UFA at season’s end.
Rantanen had a goal and assist to lead the Hurricanes past the Buffalo Sabres 5-2.
Trent Frederic is week to week with a lower-body injury but there are reports stating the Boston Bruins pending UFA could still be traded ahead of the March 7 deadline.
The Washington Capitals are the top team in the Eastern Conference and second overall in the NHL behind the Winnipeg Jets, but general manager Chris Patrick said “anything is on the table” when it comes to their plans ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn is doing his best to not pay attention to rumors about him being traded ahead of the deadline.
Schenn played his 1,000th NHL game Thursday, a 5-2 win over the Capitals. He and brother Luke are the 10th set of siblings to each play 1,000 games in the League.
Out of respect for a veteran player, the Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly allowing Scott Laughton some input to where he might be traded before the deadline.
Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet says the criticism he’s received in Canada over his relationship with the U.S. President Donald Trump has “broken his heart.”
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen is likely out for the season after hernia surgery.
The Canucks let a 2-0 lead slip away and lost 5-2 to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Columbus Blue Jackets pulled even with the Detroit Red Wings for the first wild card in the Eastern Conference after defeating them 5-2.
The Bruins placed forward Oliver Wahlstrom on waivers. Then they went out and dominated the Islanders, only to lose 2-1 when Ilya Sorokin finished with 37 saves for New York.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to do without one of their better players this season, forward Michael Bunting, for “a little while” after he had his appendix removed Thursday.
The struggling Penguins rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in overtime, behind Evgeni Malkin’s four-point night (two goals, two assists).
Watch Malkin score the OT winner against the Flyers.
Speaking of overtime winners, check out this brilliant one by Cole Caufield in the Montreal Canadiens’ 4-3 win against the San Jose Sharks.
The Winnipeg Jets had their franchise-record 11-game winning streak end with a 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators.
The Florida Panthers won a Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Edmonton Oilers, 4-3, handing the Oilers their fifth consecutive defeat.
Clayton Keller had an NHL career-high five points to lead the Utah Hockey Club to its third straight win, 6-1 over the Minnesota Wild.
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