The Panthers host the Rangers in tonight’s game. Both teams are considered to be two of the best teams in hockey right now. Goalies Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsy are at the top of their game as well. Here is a preview of what’s to come.
The New York Rangers are a hot team looking for some action. The last time they played a game was December 17, 2021 again the Vegas Golden Knights. They lost 3-2 in a shootout. Mika Zibanejad (7) got a goal and an assist (18). Also scoring for the Rangers was Chris Kreider (18), who also got an assist (8) on Zibanejad’s goal.
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The Rangers are probably a hungry team from not playing in so long. The good news is that their star goalie Igor Shesterkin is back. He has been out since December 3, 2021 due to a lower body injury when he was replaced by Alexandar Georgiev with 14:51 left in the third period. The Rangers ended up beating the San Jose Sharks that night 1-0, with Ryan Strome being the lone goal scorer in the first period on a power-play.
Looking ahead to tonight’s game, the Rangers are looking to start a new winning streak. They are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, but 11-4-2 in away games. A win tonight, as well as a Washington Capitals loss, will put the Rangers back on top in the Metro Division.
The Florida Panthers are third in the Atlantic Division with 40 points. They are looking to bounce back from losing three straight games and having a 4-5-1 record in their last 10 games. The last time the Panthers played was on December 16, 2021 against the Los Angeles Kings, where they lost 4-1. The lone scorer for the Panthers was Matt Kiersted, which was his first NHL goal. Kiersted was just called up earlier that day from Charlotte.
The Panthers are hoping for a turn-around. Their 18-7-4 record is pretty good so far, but they need to get their offense and defense going. In their three losses, they have been out-scored 15-5. They have not scored more than two goals in their last three games. Their worse loss was December 14, 2021 against the Ottawa Senators by the score of 8-2.
It seems as though the Panthers can play better than they have of late. Their record shows this. Now, if they can only score some goals and stop their opposition from scoring so many, that would be better.
When it comes to which team dominates in head-to-head competition, the winners are the Rangers. The all-time record for the Rangers against the Panthers is 55-31-6-8, where they are 27-16-2-5 on the road. In the last 10 out of 12 games, the Rangers have earned at least a point, averaging 3.92 goals per game.
The leading scorers for the Rangers when they face the Panthers are Kreider, Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin. in 23 games played, Kreider has 18 points, seven goals and 11 assists, while Zibanejad and Panarin both have 13 points. Zibanejad has seven goals and six assists in 20 games played and Panarin has two goals and 11 assists in 11 games played.
Even thought it seems as if the Rangers have the edge in play overall against the Panthers, nobody can count the Panthers out yet. Both teams are foaming at the mouth for a chance to finally hit the ice. The battle going to be about who wants to win more. Does a great team who has been struggling, fighting for a chance to win want it more? Or does a hot team looking to continue their dominance still have something to prove? Watch the game tonight at 7 p.m. ET to find out.
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