Game 80 of 82 tonight at the Garden, as the Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes in what could very well be a deciding factor in the final seeding of the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes currently have 112 points as the Rangers have 108 with a game in hand. If the Rangers lose this game, they'll lock in to second place and take on either Pittsburgh or Washington in the first round. If the Rangers beat the Hurricanes, they'll have to win out and hope Carolina loses their final game of the season. Regardless of the outcome, tonight is one of the most important nights of the season for the Rangers Community as they will present a member of the team with the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.
If you grew up a Rangers fan or have followed the team long enough you know all about Steven McDonald and what makes this night so special. A third generation NYPD Officer, Steven McDonald shot in the line of duty while on patrol in Central Park in 1986. The three shots hit him in the head and throat, leaving him with a speaking disability and a shattered spine, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down in need of a ventilator. Thankfully, McDonald would survive and a few months after the incident, he publicly forgave the young boy who shot him.
Following the 1987-88 season, the New York Rangers introduced the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award in his honor which is given to a a player voted on by the fans who goes above and beyond the normal call of duty, as McDonald did all those years with the NYPD. Each year, McDonald along with his family would present the award prior to one of the final home games of the season in an honor that has only become more meaningful since the passing of Steven in 2017. Now, it is his son Conor, who has carried on his father's legacy as a fourth generation NYPD Officer, along with his Mother who present the award in Steven's honor.
I wrote extensively on why there are many players on this years Rangers team that deserves the award so I won't go too into that. (If you missed it and what to check it out, click below) https://clef1996.wixsite.com/feldmanenterprises/post/steven-mcdonald-award-preview-why-basically-everyone-deserves-it-this-year
Nevertheless, it will be a special night for the Rangers Community and whichever player receives this years award.
Now as far as the matchup goes, the Rangers are coming off a somewhat expected loss to the Boston Bruins Saturday Afternoon. The team was on a bit of a hot streak, winning four games in a row and seven of their previous eight, including a lengthy shutout streak from the teams goalie duo. They'll be up against a tough Carolina team who has won all four of their last games as they are 7-3 in their last ten. Carolina is coming off a back to back weekend in the tri-state area as they had a come from behind win in Jersey on Saturday as well as a decisive 5-2 win on Long Island Sunday. They will look to keep that train rolling as a win will secure their spot in first place in the Metro Division.
The Rangers may be getting some reinforcements back as Filip Chytil, Andrew Copp and Kaapo Kakko were all participants in yesterday's practice. While nothing up to this point is definite yet, the consensus seems to be they will likely wait until tomorrow to get Kakko back in the mix but there's a good chance of Chytil and Copp returning against Carolina tonight. Personally, I don't think the Rangers should rush Copp back in there. If there's any doubt, just let him rest. Chytil can definitely benefit from getting more games in before playoffs but it doesn't seem worth it to risk any more injuries at this point.
With Chytil and Copp likely returning, expect the lines to look something like this:
Kreider - Zibanejad - Vatrano
Panarin - Strome - Copp
Lafreniere - Chytil - Goodrow
Hunt - Rooney - Reaves
Lindgren - Fox
Miller - Trouba
Braun - Schneider
Despite their recent success, Carolina has gotten hit with the injury stick as they have not only lost their starter in Freddie Anderson, but Antti Raanta has recently gone down with an injury. This has forced Pyotr Kochetkov into the starter role as he very well might have to lead the storm surge into playoffs at least to start. Expect him in the opposite crease of Igor Shesterkin tonight, who should get the start tonight leaving tomorrow's game against Montreal to Alexandar Georgiev.
The Rangers will want to keep an eye on Hurricanes rookie Seth Jarvis who has had quite the rookie season leading the Hurricanes as of late with three goals and two assists in their last five games. The Rangers won't want to rely on their power play as the Hurricanes have an aggressive group of penalty killers who make up for the best shorthanded team in the league. The Rangers will also want to buckle down in the face-off circles as they not only got beat pretty badly in that department against Boston, but Carolina is fourth best in the league when it comes to winning draws. While the main focus should be just to get out of this game free of injuries, this will be the Rangers final look at a team they could potentially come across in playoffs if they make it out of the first round. Expect a big night from a hopefully inspired following the pregame ceremony and if you're at the Garden tonight, be sure to get to your seats early!
Chris Feldman
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