Panthers at Rangers
THE STORY: Fresh off a dramatic win in the Winter Classic, the New York Rangers sit as the undisputed leaders of the Atlantic Division. The only worry now is avoiding a letdown. The Rangers rallied from a two-goal deficit to earn a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in front of the Citizens Bank Park crowd on Monday, and only had the victory in hand after Henrik Lundqvist stopped Daniel Briere on a penalty shot with 19.6 seconds left in regulation. New York has won seven of its last eight games on the back of Lundqvist and backup Martin Biron. Lundqvist will likely get the nod again when the Rangers host the Florida Panthers on Thursday. The Panthers should be happy to turn the page into 2012 after closing December with a 4-4-3 run. Jose Theodore has seen his hold on the No. 1 goaltender spot loosen, though backup Scott Clemmensen has not exactly jumped up to take his place.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSFL (Florida), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (20-12-7): Clemmensen got the win in relief of Theodore on Saturday, when the starter was removed after suffering a lower-body injury. Florida is expected to recall rookie Jacob Markstrom to serve as a backup for at least the next few contests. Clemmenson is no stranger to New York, which pounded the veteran for three goals in 16 minutes last Friday before he was pulled. Clemmenson’s relief win on Saturday - in which he stopped 17 of 18 shots - snapped a personal five-game winless streak.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (24-9-4): The formula for New York has been pretty simple, start with strong goaltending and blue line play and don’t miss the opportunities on offense. That has worked perfectly this season as the Rangers have ascended to the top tier of the East. In its last nine wins, New York has surrendered an average of 1.3 goals. The Rangers got some scoring from an unlikely source in the Winter Classic, as bruising forward Mike Rupp posted his first multi-goal game since Nov. 30, 2009 with a pair of tallies.
OVERTIME:
1. Rangers D Marc Staal returned to the lineup Monday for the first time since suffering a concussion last February.
2. Lundqvist is 5-0-0 with a 1.20 goals-against average in his last five starts.
3. Clemmensen is 3-4-1 with a 2.74 goals-against average in his career against New York.