The surging Rangers host the struggling Blackhawks tonight at 8 p.m. ET. The Rangers are coming off of a 1-0 win against the Sharks Friday night, winning their seventh straight home game. Will the Rangers continue their amazing home winning streak?
The New York Rangers
The Rangers’ lone goal was a PPG scored by #16 Ryan Strome, giving the Rangers their seventh straight home game win. Although things turned out great for the Rangers, things didn’t look good at the start of the game.
In the first five minutes of the first period, the Sharks were all over the Rangers in what looked like a battle for the Rangers, but the game took a complete 180-degree turn. The Rangers started hitting more and their passing, especially during their power plays, were great. Unfortunately for the Sharks, Adin Hill’s performance was downplayed by his team’s lack of offense.
The Sharks goalie, Adin Hill was outstanding as well, making 26 saves. Their three-game winning streak ended with this loss to the Rangers and they were 0-for-2 on the power play.
Igor Shesterkin got another win, making his record 13-3-2. Shesterkin and Alexander Georgiev had a combined win 28-save shutout after Shesterkin left 5:08 in the third period. Georgiev made nine saves after Shesterkin’s departure, which was due to what looked like a right leg injury. Shesterkin was face down on the ice and needed assistance exiting, not putting any weight on his right leg. So far, the only news about the severity of Shesterkin’s injury is what the Ranger’s coach Gerard Gallant said. Senior writer for nhl.com, Dan Rosen said the Rangers’ trainer informed Gallant that Shesterkin’s injury is “not as bad as it looks.” That is the extent of what is known about his injury.
Georgiev made some fantastic saves, even though he only had faced nine shots on goal. He has been struggling this season, so this combined shutout can give him exactly what he needs, which is confidence. With Shesterkin out, Georgiev will likely be the goalie for tonight’s game, possibly longer.
The Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks are struggling, having a record of 8-12-2 in 22 games. They are seventh in the Central Division of the Western Conference. They are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, winning Thursday night against the Washington Capitals 4-3 in a shootout. Scoring for the Blackhawks were Alex DeBrincat, Dominik Kubalik (PPG) and Seth Jones. Patrick Kane scored the only goal in the shootout. DeBrincat and Jones also had an assist.
The bad news for the Blackhawks is that they are 3-7-1 away. This will make it hard for them to win against one of the Rangers who are currently one the best teams in hockey. The Rangers are 7-1-1 at home. Put that record up against a team that struggles to win away games. It could be brutal for the Blackhawks.
The Rangers have been dominating their opponents. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are down a goal or two, The Rangers always seem to find a way to make things happen and pull out a win. This is going to be a challenge for the Blackhawks who have not been a good team so far. Can the Rangers make it eight straight home game wins? Or will the Blackhawks have their number making it two wins in a row for the month of December? Stay tuned for tonight’s matchup at 8 p.m. ET to see who will win this battle.
Featured Image Courtesy of sports.yahoo.com
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