After yet one more dispiriting loss to complete out their highway journey, the Nashville Predators return house to face off towards the New York Rangers. The Rangers have had a middling, up-and-down sort of season, however they arrive into tonight off a giant win—8-2 over the Detroit Red Wings, who’re really having a very good season this yr.
The Nashville Predators
Kevin Lankinen was in internet for Thursday’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche, and regarded very mortal. There’s been a present of perception in some quarters that Saros is the issue, and hopefully that took a much-deserved shaking up this week. While Saros hasn’t been his late-season self, he has been removed from the one downside with this group.
The Preds have a foul behavior of taking too many penalties towards higher groups after which failing to kill these penalties. They wrestle to attain, due largely to a scarcity of offensive creativity and good passing. These are correctible points, however each recreation it will get more durable to imagine that they’re going to be corrected.
Cody Glass and Eeli Tolvanen had been brilliant spots in Thursday’s loss, although they didn’t get a lot icetime. Filip Forsberg continues to show a drive to win that isn’t all the time matched by his linemates. Players like Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen present some glints of residing as much as their contracts. There have positively been moments that make the Preds value watching this season, however the file—and the general expertise—have been irritating.
However, there’s one other spark of pleasure: the group has despatched Jordan Gross again right down to Milwaukee and recalled Jusso Pärssinen to take his place. Pärssinen is a gifted younger ahead with a powerful work ethic, and he’ll be motivated to reach this opportunity on the NHL degree.
The New York Rangers
The Rangers are in all probability not having fairly the season their followers had hoped for both. Top-shelf draft picks like Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko haven’t but been the prime contributors one would possibly anticipate, however the Rangers are nonetheless getting loads of scoring from extra skilled imports.
Artemi Panarin leads the group with 21 factors on the season—15 assists and 6 objectives. Young defender Adam Fox has additionally been racking up the assists, bringing 12 in addition to 4 objectives, whereas Mika Zibanejad leads the group in objectives with 9 and has added 9 assists of his personal. Chris Kreider remains to be a risk as properly, with 6G/7A, although given the state of the Preds this season he’s extra more likely to rating on whoever’s in internet tonight than skate into them.
Igor Shesterkin has been having a fairly respectable season. He’s dealt with his workload properly and turned in an above-average efficiency with it, for a sv% of .909 on the season. Jaroslav Halák, a decade older than Shesterkin, has backed him as much as the tune of a .882. Halák has but to file a win on the season.
The Rangers have a very good energy play and a positive penalty kill which can be a risk offensively, they usually’ve been drawing extra penalties than they take. However, for as soon as they’re not driving the excessive tide of spectacular capturing and save percentages—a long-time staple of the group’s even-strength play. What that can seem like on the ice tonight, we’ll have to search out out.
How to Watch
The recreation begins at 7PM Central (8PM Eastern) once more eventually, and can air on Bally Sports South and 102.5 The Game.
[my_adsense_shortcode_1]
Source link
[my_taboola_shortcode_1]
