Senators at Rangers
THE STORY: The New York Rangers have exhibited one of the most imposing home-ice advantages in the NHL this season - but it may not help them Thursday as they look to end a bizarre trend against the visiting Ottawa Senators. In a league where the home team prevails 56.5 percent of the time, the road club has won the last nine encounters in the head-to-head series between the Senators and Rangers. The first two meetings this season were close affairs, with the Senators pulling out a 5-4 shootout win on Oct. 29 and the Rangers gaining their revenge with a 3-2 triumph 11 days later. New York comes in having won five straight games and 10 of its last 11 to vault into top spot in the overall standings. The Rangers have allowed more than two goals just once during the hot streak, which includes five consecutive home victories. The Senators are also sizzling, having gone 6-0-1 in their last seven games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Rogers Sportsnet East, TVA, MSG
ABOUT THE SENATORS (23-15-6): Ottawa had to do without high-scoring defenseman Erik Karlsson in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The NHL leader in scoring among blue-liners is dealing with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. He took the morning skate and the pregame warmup Tuesday, but was a late scratch. Thursday marks the second game of a stretch that will see the Senators play nine of their next 10 contests away from Ottawa.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (27-9-4): Erik Christensen will finally see regular playing time - but it won't be with the Rangers. The club sent the struggling forward down to its American Hockey League affiliate in Connecticut - an assignment he happily accepted after being a healthy scratch for the last nine games. "I love hockey and I want to play," he said. "It hasn't been a lot of fun to be bag-skating the past month. I'm just looking forward to playing again."
OVERTIME:
1. Christensen was struggling mightily at the time of the demotion, scoring just one goal and adding four assists in 20 games so far this season.
2. The Rangers posted the last home win in the series, beating Ottawa 5-2 back on Oct. 3, 2009.