The New York Rangers (6-5-3) continue to struggle, with a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Nov. 8, allowing their crosstown rival to tally three goals in the third period. On Thursday, the team begins a series of road matchups, with six of their next seven contests away from Madison Square Garden.
The Detroit Red Wings (7-3-3) are tied for second place with the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs in a competitive Atlantic Division. They will look to take advantage of an inconsistent Rangers team and remain within close distance of the first-place Boston Bruins. Tonight’s game will be the second between the Original Six franchises this week – the Red Wings won the first matchup 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 6. Here’s our gameday preview.
New York Rangers Projected Lines
Forwards
Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Jimmy Vesey
Artemi Panarin – Vincent Trocheck – Vitali Kravtsov
Alexis Lafreniere – Filip Chytil – Kaapo Kakko
Sammy Blais – Barclay Goodrow – Ryan Carpenter/Julien Gauthier
Defense
Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox
K’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
Zac Jones – Braden Schneider
Goaltenders
Igor Shesterkin – Jaroslav Halak
Lindgren Set to Return, Gallant Putting ‘Kid Line’ Together Again
Lindgren is due to return tonight after suffering an upper-body injury during the Nov. 3 contest versus the Bruins. His return will give the struggling club a sense of normalcy when he slots in alongside Fox to lead the blue line into the contest. Head coach Gerard Gallant will put the ‘Kid Line’ of Lafreniere, Chytil, and Kakko back together with the hope of starting a winning streak against the Red Wings.
Related: Rangers’ Chytil Has the Potential to Be Great
Chytil has progressed since last season’s Eastern Conference Final series versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is aiming to become a reliable forward outside the core of Kreider, Panarin, and Zibanejad. He spoke about his confidence in his ability and playing with Lafreniere and Kakko again. “I’ve said this before, but the confidence in my game is what allows me to play the way I am,” Chytil said. “I saw in the playoffs that I can win the battles, that I am strong enough to win the 50-50s. I have the puck a lot more and can create more chances,” (from ‘Rangers need to make playing reunited Kid Line a priority,’ New York Post, 11/9/22).
Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines
Forwards
Pius Suter – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond
David Perron – Andrew Copp – Domanik Kubalik
Adam Erne – Michael Rasmussen – Oskar Sundqvist
Jonatan Berggren – Joe Veleno – Austin Czarnik
Defense
Ben Chiarot – Moritz Seider
Olli Maatta – Filip Hronek
Robert Hagg – Gustav Lindstrom
Goaltenders
Ville Husso – Alex Nedeljkovic
Luff Out Eight-To-10 Weeks, Bertuzzi & Sundqvist Due To Return
Matt Luff will miss approximately 8-10 weeks following wrist surgery after being hit by Montreal Canadiens’ rookie Juraj Slafkovsky during the 3-2 shootout loss on Nov. 8. The first-overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft was suspended two games for the hit. With Luff and Filip Zadina (six-to-eight weeks) out of action for a significant time, the Red Wings recalled Jonatan Berggren and Givani Smith from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, on Nov. 10.
Sundqvist is anticipated to return against the Rangers, with Tyler Bertuzzi expected to return during their upcoming West Coast trip – potentially on Nov. 15 versus the Anaheim Ducks. Head coach Derek Lalonde noted what the veteran brings to the franchise: “I’ve liked our team play. We’re defending well, not giving up a lot, but he’s an elite scorer, our best scorer. As great as our defense has been, chances for have been down, which is understandable, and he would help with some offense,” (from ‘Red Wings eager to add Tyler Bertuzzi’s offense during upcoming trip,’ MLive, 11/9/22). According to MLive’s Ansar Khan, the injured veteran will be placed in their top six, potentially on their top line, with Larkin and Raymond once he returns.
Players To Watch
New York Rangers – Filip Chytil
Chytil will be reunited with his young peers, Lafreniere and Kakko, who are all looking to jumpstart the Rangers. The center has four points (three goals and one assist) in eight games, including one goal during their last game. Kakko has one goal and two assists in two of the club’s last three contests, while Lafreniere does not have a point in his last four games.
Detroit Red Wings – Dominik Kubalik
Kubalik has done well for the Red Wings with 16 points (six goals and 10 assists) in 13 games, including two goals and three assists in his last four games. He also leads the team with eight power-play points (PPP) and has the opportunity to keep up his good play tonight against the Rangers.
Tonight’s game has a 7:00 PM ET start time and will be broadcast on MSG.
*Rangers lines from @vzmercogliano on Twitter. Red Wings lines from @m_bultman on Twitter.