Rangers vs. Avalanche: 3 things to watch for trying to extend point streak to 11 games
The New York Rangers are enjoying a 10-game point streak for the third straight season, but this time the hot streak moved them from being on the verge of fading out of the Eastern Conference playoff race into a crowded pursuit of a wild-card spot.
One of three teams who recently denied the Rangers an extra point by defeating them in overtime is next up when the Colorado Avalanche visit Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.
The Rangers (24-20-4) will take the ice after two days off following their impressive 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, when six different players scored and 12 players registered at least a point. Their second-most lopsided win gave the Rangers 52 points, and they are three points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets (24-19-7) for the second wild-card spot in the East.
New York is 7-0-3 in its first 10-game point streak since winning 10 in a row nearly a year ago. The Rangers also are 8-1-3 since their ugly 4-15-0 slide knocked them below the playoff line and their 43 goals are the most in the NHL since Jan. 2.
One of the teams to deny the Rangers a win in the past 10 games is the Avalanche, who rallied for a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 14 during New York’s successful three-game road trip. Artturi Lehkonen scored the tying goal with 1:13 left In regulation and Devon Toews scored the game-winner 4:23 into overtime.
The Avalanche are 4-5-2 in their past 11 games since winning six straight. In the first game since trading Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for Martin Necas and Jack Drury, Colorado lost 3-1 to the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
Scott Wedgewood was in goal Saturday, meaning the Rangers are likely to see Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 27 saves in the first meeting between the teams and is 9-4-2 with a 2.04 goals-against average since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks for ex-Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev.
Related: Rangers sign Will Borgen to 5-year, $20.5 million contract
3 things to watch for when Rangers host Avalanche
1. Get to the net
Establishing a presence in front of the opposing net is an emphasis of every team, but it does not always work out. On Thursday, getting close to the opposing net worked out extremely well, when the Rangers scored three goals on tips or deflections and got two other goals due to someone establishing a presence by the net.
Braden Schneider scored on a shot that was deflected by a Philadelphia defenseman and Adam Edstrom scored on a tip-in in the opening period. Filip Chytil also scored on a deflection in the three-goal third period.
K’Andre Miller scored on a shot that was aided by Vincent Trocheck parking himself at the crease and Reilly Smith scored by crashing the net and flipping a loose puck over the goal line.
During their 12-game hot streak, nine of the 43 non-shootout goals are on tip-ins or deflections. In the 19-game slide, the Rangers netted five of their 41 goals on those plays.
2. Turn defense to offense
Getting points from all six defenseman is rare but it happened for the first time since Dec. 8, 2019 for the Rangers on Thursday.
Overall, the defense corps combined for three goals and five assists. Schneider, Miller and Adam Fox scored. Fox and Miller also had assists; Will Borgen, Urho Vaakanainen and Ryan Lindgren had one assist apiece.
It was the first time the Rangers saw three different defenseman get goals since Fox, Miller and Schneider scored in a 6-4 road win over the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 5, 2022.
Fox’s multi-point night gave him two goals and 10 assists in the past 10 games. Miller scored for the first time in 16 games since Dec. 8, when he also produced his previous multi-point game. Schneider scored for the first in 42 games since Oct. 22 and recorded a point in consecutive games for the first time this season.
3. Familiar faces in new place
The Rangers host the Avalanche and Hurricanes in their next two games, meaning they will oppose the two centerpieces of a blockbuster trade Friday.
The Avalanche acquired Necas along with Drury, the nephew of Rangers general manager Chris Drury.
Necas had 16 goals and 39 assists in 49 games, putting him on pace to break his career high of 71 points from two seasons ago. Necas has one goal and eight points in 17 career games against the Rangers and collected two assists in Carolina’s 4-3 win on Nov. 27.
Necas also scored three times in last spring’s second-round series against the Rangers and made his debut Saturday as a linemate of Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. He recorded two shots on goal in 21:38 TOI and was on the ice for each of Boston’s even-strength goals.
Drury has three goals and nine points in 39 games and scored against the Rangers in the first meeting in Raleigh.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Cuylle – Zibanejad – Smith
Kreider – Chytil – Kaliyev
Edstrom – Carrick – Rempe
Lindgren – Fox
Miller – Borgen
Vaakanainen – Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Rangers vs. Avalanche: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Colorado Avalanche
When: Sunday Jan. 26 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
How to watch: MSG
More About:New York Rangers News
Read This Next
