Los Angeles Kings Set to Play New York Rangers at MSG
By Ian Smith
The Los Angeles Kings will get their second chance against a New York team on this road trip as they square off against the Rangers today at 4:00 PM Pacific Time.
The Kings will attempt to get their first win of this road trip in this 2014 Stanley Cup Finals rematch. Los Angeles opened up their trip with a 4-2 loss to the Islanders on January 21, and have now lost 3 in a row and 4 out of their last 6. They sit 3 points out of a wildcard spot in the Western Conference.
The Kings will try to right the ship against a talented Rangers team, who have 61 points in 47 games and hold the top wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers have a goal differential of +39 this season, which is the third best in the NHL.
At 30-16-1, New York looks poised for another playoff appearance. They’ve made the postseason in 10 out of the last 11 seasons, including 6 straight.
7 of the next 8 games for the Rangers will be at Madison Square Garden. They’re on a two game winning streak with recent road victories over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.
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New York made a big splash this offseason by trading popular center Derick Brassard to the Ottawa Senators for Mika Zibanejad. So far Zibanejad has 17 points in 22 games, having recently returned from a fibula injury that kept him out for 25 games.
The Rangers as a team rank 2nd in the NHL in goals per game. 7 different players on the roster have at least 11 goals so far this season, and their leading point scorer isn’t one of them, which is illustrative of their forward depth.
Mats Zuccarello has 37 points, Derek Stepan has 36 points, Kevin Hayes has 35 points, Chris Kreider has 34 points, J.T. Miller has 34 points, and Michael Grabner has 29 points, including a team leading 21 goals.
Anze Kopitar, Alec Martinez, and Drew Doughty are all tied for 2nd on the Kings this season with 25 points. On the Rangers, they’d all rank tied for 8th in points. The Rangers just have a multitude of adept scoring options.
The offensive production is driving the team in the midst of the worst season of Henrik Lundqvist’s career. His 2.77 GAA and .904 save percentage this season are by far career worsts for him.
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Antti Raanta has been the most impressive goaltender between the pipes for the Rangers this season. In 18 games, Raanta is 10-4-0 with a 2.23 GAA and .923 save percentage. He has been out since January 14 with a lower body injury.