Blackhawks at Rangers
The New York Rangers have ascended to the top of the league's standings despite playing without franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist for the past 20 games. Cam Talbot has posted a scintillating 13-2-3 mark in that stretch and is expected to get the nod when the Rangers vie for their sixth consecutive victory against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. Talbot has yielded three goals during his personal four-game winning streak for the Rangers, who received good news on Tuesday when specialists cleared Lundqvist to return to practice.
While presence of the "The King" will be a welcome sight, Talbot has been playing like royalty - making 38 saves in a 2-1 triumph over Florida on Sunday as well as turning aside all 29 shots he faced in a 1-0 overtime victory against Chicago on March 8. Named the NHL's Second Star of the Week, Talbot could face a stern challenge from the Blackhawks' revamped top line on Wednesday. Captain Jonathan Toews collected two goals and two assists, Marian Hossa scored twice and Patrick Sharp set up a pair of tallies in Chicago's 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (42-21-6): Andrew Shaw could be facing additional punishment from the league after his head-butting incident with Islanders center Brock Nelson drew a major penalty and a game misconduct during the second period. "Killing a five-minute major, to me, is enough (of a punishment)," coach Joel Quenneville said of a possible suspension for Shaw, who was banned three games for hitting Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith during the 2012 postseason. Rookie Joakim Nordstrom, Shaw's linemate, had just completed serving a two-game suspension for boarding Arizona defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson last week.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (44-17-7): Coach Alain Vigneault put the kibosh on any potential goaltending controversy when Lundqvist is deemed ready to return to game action after being sidelined with a vascular injury. "Once we feel that Hank is good to go, and he feels good about himself and his performance, obviously we're going to go with Henrik Lundqvist," Vigneault said on "The Michael Kay Show" on Tuesday. While the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner is nearing a return, veteran Martin St. Louis is expected to miss 10-to-14 days with a lower-body injury he sustained during the third period of Sunday's game.
OVERTIME
1. The Blackhawks have won three in a row and are 7-1-1 in their last nine contests to move within five points of first-place St. Louis in the Central Division.
2. New York C Derick Brassard scored 32 seconds into overtime versus Chicago to snap a 14-game goal drought in the first meeting. He has just one assist in his last four games.
3. Blackhawks G Corey Crawford, who is 6-0-1 in his last seven decisions, suffered the hard-luck loss despite making 36 saves in the first encounter.