Devils at Rangers
Mika Zibanejad looks for an encore to his stunning five-goal effort last time out and the New York Rangers aim to continue their surge when the rival New Jersey Devils pay a visit on Saturday night. The 26-year-old center scored four times in regulation and added the winning goal in overtime as the Rangers beat Washington 6-5 on Thursday to pull within two points of a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
“The puck followed me today, I guess,” Zibanejad told reporters after pushing his total to 14 goals in his last 10 games and 38 on the season. “I was at the right spot at the right time. I was a lot more happy we won, and we were able to do it. It’s a night I’ll remember for a long time.” New York snapped a three-game slide with its 13th victory in 19 contests Thursday and turns its attention to the Devils, who are well out of the playoff picture but are 5-1-2 in their last eight games after knocking off reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis 4-2 on Friday. “This is the Devils, they’re one of our rivals, there are 15 games left and we’re two points out of a playoff spot,” Rangers coach David Quinn told the New York Post. “I don’t know how much more this game can mean to our guys.” New Jersey allowed just 14 goals in its last eight games after Cory Schneider turned aside 31 shots Friday, and red-hot Mackenzie Blackwood (21-13-8) is expected to get the start Saturday after registering a .961 save percentage over his past eight outings.
TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: MSG Plus, MSG
ABOUT THE DEVILS (27-28-12): Defensemen Connor Carrick and Dakota Mermis each scored their first goals of the season in Friday’s victory while forward Joey Anderson sealed the game with an empty-net tally. Left wing Jesper Bratt opened the scoring Friday to reach 100 points in his career and give him two goals along with two assists in his last four contests, and center Pavel Zacha has posted three points in three games. Right wing Kyle Palmieri leads the team with 43 points, but has not made the scoresheet in five games, and left wing Nikita Gusev is one point behind after recording nine in his last eight contests.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (36-27-4): Zibanejad missed 13 games earlier this season due to injury, but has registered 71 points in 58 contests overall to sit second on the team behind Hart Trophy candidate Artemi Panarin (93). Panarin, who is second on the team in goals with 32, has scored five times and set up 17 others while making the scoresheet in 14 of the last 15 games and forward Pavel Buchnevich owns five of his 42 points - one off his career high - in the last four contests. Rookie Igor Shesterkin (9-1-0, .940 save percentage), out two weeks with a rib injury, practiced Friday and could return to the lineup as soon as Saturday.
OVERTIME
1. New Jersey D Will Butcher (four goals, 21 points) underwent surgery to repair ruptured thumb ligaments and will miss the rest of the season.
2. Tony DeAngelo had three of his 51 points Thursday to become the first Rangers defenseman since Brian Leetch (2001-02) to reach 50.
3. New York has won the last two meetings by a combined score of 10-3 after dropping the opener of the season series 5-2 at New Jersey.