Rangers Practice Buzz: Igor Shesterkin to start; Sammy Blais back; and Kaapo Kakko more PP time
The New York Rangers held their morning skate in Montreal and according to multiple reports Igor Shesterkin was the first goalie of the ice. That is normally indicative of who the starting goalie will be.
Additionally, Gerard Gallant says that Sammy Blais should be good to go for the game tonight. Blais missed the Rangers home opener with a lower-body injury.
Finally, Kaapo Kakko should be taking Ryan Strome’s spot on the first power play unit, which is the right side. The 20 year-old forward has 5 shots and no points through two games this season. Blais will take his spot on PP2.
Strome is out due to COVID related protocols.
New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens
The Rangers, starting a four-game trip on Saturday, are winless through two games for the third time in five seasons. They allowed three power-play goals in a 5-1 loss to the host Washington Capitals and earned a point by overcoming a two-goal deficit in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars in Thursday’s home opener.
“We started playing more with the puck,” Kreider said. “We cycled. We were coming at them in waves. We were doing a good job of not turning pucks over, getting pucks to the net quickly, supporting each other, moving our feet. We have to do that for a full 60.”
The Rangers are making their first trip to Montreal since a 5-2 win on Feb. 27, 2020, when they rallied from a 2-0 deficit by scoring five times in the final 21-plus minutes. The Rangers are 4-13-2 in their past 19 trips to Montreal and are seeking three straight wins there for the first time since Feb. 25, 1978-March 10, 1979.
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