Rangers look to rebound, host struggling Flyers
The New York Rangers are a banged up and unhappy group after falling 4-2 to the rival New York Islanders on Tuesday. A slow start where they allowed three first-period goals doomed them, but it was two questionable hits to centers Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck that had coach Peter Laviolette irate after the buzzer sounded.
“Vicious,” Laviolette fumed. “Both of them.”
After a day off to lick their wounds, the Blueshirts will close out the season with three home games that starts on Thursday against a desperate Philadelphia Flyers team. A Rangers’ win will set a franchise record with 54 wins, but more importantly, it brings them a step closer to capturing the Metropolitan Division title and Presidents’ Trophy.
“Games are important right now, they mean a lot,” explained Laviolette. “Our guys are battling hard out there.”
Here’s today’s game and broadcast info:
New York Rangers (53-22-4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (36-32-11)
Date/Time: April 11, 2024 @ 7:00 PM ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden
TV: MSG
Radio: ESPN 1050 AM
Note: Subject to change, updated for each game
Related: Rangers deal with injury scares
New York Rangers projected lineup
Here’s the expected lineup:
Kreider – Zibanejad – Roslovic
Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Cuylle – Wennberg – Kakko
Vesey – Brodzinski – Goodrow
Lindgren – Fox
Miller – Trouba
Gustafsson – Schneider
Quick
Shesterkin
Note: The Rangers will a morning skate at 10:30 A.M. ET. Coach Peter Laviolette will address the media soon after. Check back here for updates.
New York Rangers vs Philadelphia Flyers
The Rangers (110 points) are still in a great spot to win the Metropolitan Division and their fourth Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history. However, with their loss on Tuesday, the Dallas Stars (109 points) are just a point behind them for first overall. The Stars host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
Meanwhile, New York’s magic number to win the Metro over the second-place Carolina Hurricanes (107 points) remains at four. A victory of any kind versus the Flyers cuts that two, as the Hurricanes next game is Friday in St. Louis against the Blues.
Coming into action today, the Flyers (83 points) are a mess having lost seven straight (0-5-2). The slide has caused them to not only fall out of third place in the Metro, but also the second wild card spot. That’s why the Rangers need to be ready for a very aggressive squad out of the gate. Currently, the Washington Capitals (85 points) hold the last playoff position in the east with a game in hand on Philly. Although that may not seem insurmountable, both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings sit ahead of the Flyers by a point (84 points) and a game in hand as well.
New York is one of the best home teams in the NHL with a record of 28-10-0. This is the fourth and final meeting of the regular-season against the Flyers. The Rangers hold a 3-0-0 advantage and are looking for the sweep.
Upcoming Rangers Milestones
- Vincent Trocheck is 3 goals away from 200 in his career
- Mika Zibanejad is 6 goals away from 300 in his career
- Kaapo Kakko is 3 games away from 300 in his career
More About:New York Rangers Games
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