The New York Rangers are on a three-game winning streak and leading the Metropolitan Division. The Vegas Golden Knights are coming off a loss to the Nashville Predators, but are leading the Pacific Division. Who will win this battle? Here is pregame analysis of Rangers vs Golden Knights.
The Rangers are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, but have won three in a row. The start of their win streak began when they faced the Stanley Cup Champions Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, December 31, 2021. They won 4-3 in a shootout.
The Rangers played the Lightning again on Sunday, shutting them out 4-0. The Lightning had a couple of their key players back, including their star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was out on COVID protocol. This was his first game back and not a good one for him, although after the Rangers made it 3-0, he started playing the way Tampa fans are used to.
The last Rangers win came against the Edmonton Oilers, where the Rangers won 4-1. The Oilers have been struggling, as the Rangers gave the them their fourth straight loss. Alexandar Georgiev was in net and was outstanding, saving 33 out of 34 shots.
With a 22-13-1 record, the Knights are looking good. Their goal differential against other teams is +19, which is fourth best in the Western Conference and either best in the NHL. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
The month of December served the Knights well. In 13 games, they are 10-3. They were scheduled for another two games, one vs the Los Angeles Kings and the other vs the Colorado Avalanche, but they both got postponed.
The players to watch are D-men Shea Theodore and Zach Whitecloud, along with Center Mattias Janmark. In the last five games, Theodore has five points and four assists. Whitecloud is +5 and Janmark has four goals.
When looking at the top ten skaters, defensemen, goalies and rookies, the Rangers have players in most of these categories. Artemi Panarin is tied for ninth in points with 36 and tied for sixth in assists. Chris Kreider has 20 goals, tying him for fourth in the league. Adam Fox is tied for third in assists and leads the NHL with 35 points and 30 assist for a D-man.
Igor Shesterkin is on his game and on the top ten for GAA, save percentage and shutouts. Shesterkin has a 2.09 GAA, or goals against average, putting him fifth in the league. Shesterkin is also fourth in the league with a save percentage of .936, as well as having two shutouts.
The Knights’ key player is Theodore who is fifth in goals for a defenseman with seven. He has 25 points, which ties him for seventh in the league.
The Rangers are looking to win their fourth straight game. The Knights are looking to bring some of that December holiday spirit with them into the new year. Who will win? Watch the game on Thursday night at 10 p.m. ET as the Rangers take on the Golden Knights.
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