New York Rangers Daily: Put-up or shut-up time; Blue Jackets lose Elvis Merzlikins for personal reasons
It’s put-up or shut-up time for the New York Rangers.
They’re tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets in points for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference and the teams plays Saturday at Nationwide Arena. It’s their final head-to-head meeting this season. And it comes six days after the Blue Jackets stormed Madison Square Garden, kicked the Rangers in the teeth and skated away with a 7-3 victory.
This game begs for the Rangers to stand up, push back and play their best game of the season. Are they capable of doing so? Great question. In a season of massive underperformance and lack of consistency one game to the next, if not one shift to the next, predict how the Rangers will perform at your own peril.
But if not now, then when? Put-up or shut-up.
It’s all there for the Rangers, especially coming off an uplifting 3-2 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Plus, the Blue Jackets are vulnerable with four losses in their past five games. Is Columbus beginning to crack down the stretch after being the the surprise darlings in the NHL all season? Or are they capable of rising back up against the Rangers, as they were Sunday at MSG?
If the Rangers are who they think they are, they storm Nationwide Arena, dictate how this game is played and head home two points ahead of the upstarts.
Put-up or shut-up.
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NHL news and rumors
The Blue Jackets will be without goalie Elvis Merzlikins when they face the Rangers on Saturday. He practiced Friday but then word spread that he’s unavailable moving forward for personal reasons, and Jet Greaves was recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League. Columbus coach Dean Evason said Saturday morning that Merzlikins and his wife are expecting the birth of their child.
Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Rasmus Dahlin did meet with Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams to gain clarity on the direction of the franchise, but did not ask to be traded. That was reported earlier in the week and also refuted by Dahlin the other day.
Former Rangers defenseman Neal Pionk is week to week for the Winnipeg Jets with an undisclosed injury.
The Calgary Flames are without their captain Mikael Backlund week to week because of an upper-body injury sustained when he checked former Rangers defenseman Victor Mancini of the Vancouver Canucks.
Josh Norris missed Sabres practice Friday and is being evaluated for an undisclosed injury.
The Islanders gained a point in the standings but lost to the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in overtime.
The Detroit Red Wings continue to be a non-factor in the Eastern Conference playoff race, losing for the seventh time in eight games, 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Old friend Kaapo Kakko scored the game-winner in the third period to lift the Seattle Kraken past the Utah Hockey Club 4-2.
The Colorado Avalanche are 7-0-1 in their past eight games after a 4-2 win over the Flames, a game in which former Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren scored his first goal with Colorado.
In a clash between the top two teams in the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets skated to a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars.
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