Rangers at Wild
THE STORY: New York is trying to hold the lead in the Eastern Conference, with Pittsburgh looming. The Rangers have a one-point cushion over the Penguins, winning three of their last four, and trail St. Louis by two points for the Presidents’ Trophy. Minnesota was eliminated from playoff contention Sunday but could play spoiler, having alternated wins and losses in its last seven games versus New York.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, MSG (Rangers), FS North (Wild)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (47-21-7): Rangers star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist isn’t happy with his current form and told the media he needs to start fine tuning his work between the pipes before the playoffs begin. The Vezina Trophy favorite – and Hart Trophy dark horse – has allowed seven goals on 51 total shots in his last two games. However, he did stand tall in overtime and in the shootout versus the Maple Leafs, helping the Rangers pick up win No. 47 – fifth-most in franchise history.
ABOUT THE WILD (31-34-10): With the plug pulled on Minnesota’s postseason hopes, the Wild will be searching for motivation in the final seven games. The offense had a hard enough time before the season was lost. The Wild average only two goals per game and Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Washington was the fifth time Minnesota has been shutout in the last 13 games and the seventh time this season.
OVERTIME:
1. The Rangers have reached the 100-point mark for only the seventh time in club history.
2. Minnesota’s second-half swoon has it in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft. The Wild are 27th in the NHL and the bottom five teams have a chance at winning the draft lottery on April 10.
3. New York winger Marian Gaborik is three goals shy of recording his third career 40-goal season. He has netted 10 goals in the past 17 games.