Rangers vs. Flames: Lineups, storylines with NHL Draft Lottery implications
Better late than never, the New York Rangers try to continue a stretch of winning and entertaining hockey, when they host the Calgary Flames at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Though out of the playoff picture and sitting last in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers (25-30-8) have points in five of six games (3-1-2) since the Olympic break, scoring 24 goals in that span. New York scored six goals twice since the break, including a rousing 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
The Rangers scored three power-play goals Monday, one by each member of the top line — Mika Zibanejad, Gabe Perreault, and Alexis Lafreniere. Zibanejad finished with two goals and three points and enters play Tuesday, one point shy of 800 in the NHL.
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov had two assists Monday and extended his point streak to five games. His three-game goal streak ended, but Gavrikov already doubled his career high by scoring 12 goals this season. He’s eighth on the Rangers with 27 points, second among defenseman, behind his partner Adam Fox, who has 30 points (four goals, 26 assists) in 36 games.
The Rangers and Flames are in a battle of sorts, as it pertains to the NHL Draft Lottery. The Flames (25-31-7) are 31st overall in the NHL and the Rangers are 30th, just one point better. Of course, the fewer points at the end of the season, the better odds of winning the lottery.
Right now, the Flames have a 13.6 percent chance of winning the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, and the Rangers sit at 11.6 percent, per Tankathon. The Vancouver Canucks are last in the League standings, and have a 25.1 percent chance to win the lottery.
3 storylines when Rangers host Flames
1. Quick turnaround
Playing the second of back-to-back nights, the Rangers start Jonathan Quick in goal against the Flames, after Igor Shesterkin stopped 32 of 34 shots down in Philly on Monday. Quick has one win in his past 17 starts (1-14-2), dating to Nov. 16. And the only game the Rangers lost in regulation since the break was started by Quick on Saturday, a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils.
Overall, the 40 year-old has a 3.20 goals-against average and .888 save percentage in 21 games (20 starts) this season.
“Stats can be deceiving, I think,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said after the morning skate. “The toughest part is when ‘Shesty’ went down (and missed 13 games with a lower-body injury) … I think that had an impact on ‘Quickie’s’ overall numbers.
“If you look at his game by game, he’s digging in and he’s giving us a chance to win. He’s making timely saves for us most nights that he’s in there.”
2. Tye Kartye ‘fit in really well’ with Rangers
Tye Kartye is making the most of his opportunity to play regularly on the third line after the Rangers claimed him off waivers from the Seattle Kraken on March 1. In five games with the Rangers, the 24-year-old’s provided energy, physicality, a strong forechecking presence, and solid penalty killing, where he’s teamed most often with Noah Laba up front.
Kartye led the Rangers with four hits in Philly, logged more than 15 minutes TOI, and recorded the second two-point game of his NHL career. That included his first goal with the Rangers, a deflection of Gavrikov’s slap shot late in the second period to put New York up 6-1 that was originally credited to the defenseman.
“We really like what we have seen from Tye,” Sullivan said Tuesday morning. “I think he skates well. I think he plays a north-south game. He checks well, has pretty good details in his game. He can help us on the penalty kill. There’s a physical dimension to his game. He scores a goal last night on a deflection play, just getting inside. He plays with courage. So, I think he’s a guy that has fit in really well.”
3. No Otter sighting
Brennan Othmann won’t be in the Flames lineup Tuesday against his former team. In fact, “Otter” isn’t even on Calgary’s NHL roster; they assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, after acquiring the 2021 first-round pick from the Rangers for forward prospect Jacob Battaglia ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline last Friday.
A major disappointment with one goal in 42 NHL games over parts of three seasons with the Rangers, Othmann should get a clean slate with the Flames organization. He’s scoreless and minus-4 in two games with the Wranglers since the trade.
The Rangers will face another former Blueshirt, however. And coincidentally, Ryan Strome plays his 900th NHL game Tuesday, though just his third with the Flames. The former Rangers center was acquired by the Flames in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks last week. The 32-year-old, who played from 2018-21 with the Rangers, has three points (one goal, two assists) in two games so far with the Flames.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Alexis Lafreniere — Mika Zibanejad — Gabe Perreault
Will Cuylle — Vincent Trocheck — Jonny Brodzinski
Tye Kartye — Noah Laba — Conor Sheary
Adam Edstrom — Juuso Parssinen — Jaroslav Chmelar
Vladislav Gavrikov — Adam Fox
Will Borgen — Braden Schneider
Matthew Robertson — Urho Vaakanainen
Jonathan Quick
Igor Shesterkin
Rangers vs. Flames: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Calgary Flames
When: Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
How to watch: MSG
