Rangers vs. Senators: 3 things to watch for in game with massive playoff implications
Fresh off the NHL Trade Deadline the day before, the New York Rangers play perhaps their most important game of the 2024-25 season Saturday when they visit the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.
Each team has 67 points, with Ottawa sitting in the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, percentage points ahead of New York, which has played one more game (62-61). This is the final head-to-head meeting between the Rangers and Senators this season, adding to its importance.
There are too many games left in the season to call this a must-win. But there’s no denying that a regulation victory for either team carries substantial weight. For the Senators, it would give them a two-point cushion on the Rangers with a game in hand. For the Rangers, not only would they jump past the Senators but it’d feel like big brother flexing his muscle against little brother.
Already this season, the Rangers are 2-0-0 against the Senators, winning 2-1 and 5-0 at MSG. A win Saturday would complete a sweep of the season series. Plus, with the playoff-race pressure ramping up, the Senators are just 2-3-0 since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, which was preceded by a three straight losses before the break.
“It’s a huge game,” Rangers defenseman Will Borgen said after practice Friday. “It’s going to be a playoff-like game. They’re going to be pushing and so are we.”
The Rangers are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday but have points in eight of their past 11 games (7-3-1). They are also 6-2-2 in their past 10 road games. The Senators are 17-9-2 on home ice this season.
Related: Rangers trade grades after acquiring Carson Soucy from Canucks
3 things to watch for when Rangers visit Senators
1. ‘Got to be ready’
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette admitted that starting this game at 12:30 in the afternoon is an adjustment for routine-oriented hockey players. But it’s not an excuse. This is a hugely important game and the Rangers, notorious slow starters anyway, can’t be on their heels against a young energized opponent playing its biggest game in years.
“An early game, you’ve got to be ready,” Laviolette said Friday. “It happens real quick. You’re leaving for the game at 10 in the morning, so that’s not normal business inside of what we do. That’s where we’re at but we’ve got to be ready for it. It’s a big one.”
2. New faces, new places
Carson Soucy will make his Rangers debut after the 30-year-old defenseman was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round draft pick Thursday. He didn’t practice in New York on Friday and instead met the team in Ottawa later in the day. It’s not yet known who would come out of the lineup for him. Likely could be Calvin de Haan — who’s been really good in his first three games since arriving from the Colorado Avalanche — and less likely Urho Vaakanainen, who’s played well, too, and just signed a two-year contract with the Rangers on Friday.
UPDATE: Carson Soucy will play on a pairing with Zac Jones. Calvin de Haan will be a healthy scratch
There are other new faces in new places for this game. Notably Dylan Cozens should make his Senators debut roughly 24 hours after he was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. The 24-year-old center scored 31 goals two seasons ago, landed a massive seven-year contract and has struggled to live up to it since. He had 18 goals last season and only 11 this season with the Sabres. Cozens has one goal in his past 17 games and will face the pressure of replacing the popular Josh Norris, who was sent to Buffalo in the trade.
Rugged defenseman Dennis Gilbert was also part of that trade and could debut with the Senators on Saturday. And winger Fabian Zetterlund, who’s got 17 goals this season after he scored 24 last season, was acquired by the Senators shortly before the deadline from the San Jose Sharks. It’s unknown if he’ll be available to play Saturday.
3. Friends no more
J.T. Miller and Brady Tkachuk were tight teammates with the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. SO much so, that they — and Brady’s brother Matthew, of the Florida Panthers — had a group text between them, when they plotted a physical start against Canada in a tournament prelim game. That led to three fights — one for each member of the text chain — in the opening nine seconds of the game.
Well, that’s in the past. Now Miller and Brady Tkachuk, a pair of talented, intense gritty players, are on opposite sides and you can bet each will give as much as he’ll get Saturday. Simply, each is the heartbeat of his respective team. And since there’s a good chance they’ll be on the ice often at the same time, look for fireworks setting the tone for what should be an intense clash between the Rangers and Senators.
Tkachuk, Ottawa’s captain, has goals in four straight games and 24 on the season to go along with 112 penalty minutes. Miller, who had a six-game point streak end against the Capitals, has seven goals, 14 points but not a single penalty minute in 12 games with the Rangers, since he was acquired in a trade with the Canucks on Jan. 31.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Cuylle – J.T. Miller- Zibanejad
Parssinen – Carrick – Berard
Othmann – Brodzinski – Rempe
K. Miller – Borgen
Vaakanaien – Schneider
Soucy – Jones
Shesterkin
Quick
Rangers vs. Senators: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators
When: Saturday, March 8 at 12:30 p.m. ET
Where: Canadian Tire Centre
How to watch: MSG
More About:New York Rangers News