Rangers at Canadiens
The season has quickly gotten away from both the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, with both Original Six clubs taking pronounced losing streaks into Thursday night's game at the Bell Centre. The reeling Rangers will feature a new-look lineup in their quest to stop a four-game skid when they face the Canadiens, who have dropped six in a row (0-4-2).
Rookie Alexandar Georgiev will give struggling workhorse goaltender Henrik Lundqvist a breather and join defenseman Rob O'Gara in making their respective NHL debuts for the Rangers. "It's a good opportunity and I'm really excited. That's the word. There were 1,000 emotions going through me yesterday, but I'd say excited was the No. 1," said the 24-year-old O'Gara, who was acquired from Boston as part of a package for defenseman Nick Holden. While the Rangers have dropped 11 of 14 to plummet into the basement of the Metropolitan Division, Montreal was unable to hold a late lead on Tuesday and fell for the 18th time in 24 outings (6-14-4) with a 3-2 overtime loss in Philadelphia. The Canadiens open a four-game stretch at the Bell Centre on Thursday versus New York, with the home team emerging victorious in both encounters this season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG 2 (New York), TSN2, RDS (Montreal)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (27-28-5): Chris Kreider has been medically cleared to play in Thursday's game, although coach Alain Vigneault was quick to slow that momentum by telling reporters that the forward would not travel with the team to Montreal. The 26-year-old Kreider, instead, could play either Friday (against Minnesota) or Sunday (versus Detroit) after being sidelined since Dec. 27 due to a blood clot in his right arm that required rib resection surgery. While Kreider will have to wait for his return, defenseman Marc Staal is expected to end an eight-game absence due to a neck injury on Thursday.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (22-29-8): Carey Price, who has won 12 of his last 14 meetings versus the Rangers, missed practice on Wednesday to undergo treatment after being hit in the mask by a shot versus the Flyers. Montreal reached out to Laval of the American Hockey League and used an emergency recall for fellow goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who owns a 3-4-1 mark with one shutout and a 2.43 goals-against average in eight games with the Canadiens this season. Former first-round defenseman Noah Juulsen was also recalled and is poised to make his NHL debut.
OVERTIME
1. New York LW Rick Nash resides one point shy of 800 while C J.T. Miller sits one assist short of 100 for his career.
2. Montreal acquired a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL draft from Washington on Wednesday for D Jakub Jerabek, who has one goal and three assists in 25 games this season.
3. Nine of the last 16 regular-season encounters between the clubs have resulted in a shutout.