Canucks at Rangers
The Vancouver Canucks are in search of their first three-game winning streak of the season when they pay a visit to the New York Rangers on Tuesday night in the fourth stop of a six-game road trip. The task will not be easy for the Canucks upon learning Monday that captain Henrik Sedin is expected to be sidelined through the All-Star break.
Sedin sustained an upper-body injury in Sunday's shootout victory at the New York Islanders and is expected to be sent back to Vancouver. "Hopefully he'll be ready after the All-Star break," Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said Monday. "I think it's probably a 10-day injury or so." The Rangers have alternated wins and losses over their past 10 games following a 5-2 setback at Washington on Sunday. New York is 5-1-1 over its last seven home games, with both losses coming against the red-hot Capitals.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (19-17-10): Sedin, Vancouver's second-leading scorer behind twin brother Daniel, was hurt after absorbing a hit from Islanders forward Mikhail Grabovski and is expected to be replaced on the top line by center Jared McCann. "(He) is a lot of faster than Henrik," Daniel Sedin said to reporters of McCann. "Jared plays with speed and tries to beat guys 1-on-1. We played together before Christmas and did a good job. We're hoping for the best against a good team." Daniel Sedin scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the visiting Rangers on Dec. 9.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (24-16-5): Since their blistering 16-3-2 start to the season, New York has dropped 16 of its last 24 (8-13-3) and hasn't posted back-to-back victories since Nov. 21-23 to fall 18 points behind Metropolitan Division-leading Washington. Chris Kreider has scored three times in the past two contests and is coming off his first multiple-goal game of the season for the Rangers, who continue to struggle on special teams. New York has converted only once in 26 power-play chances over the past nine games and has allowed four goals while short-handed in the past three contests.
OVERTIME
1. Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist is 20-12-4 with a 2.46 goals-against average versus Vancouver.
2. The Canucks are 6-12-3 with three ties with Henrik Sedin out of the lineup since the 2000-01 season.
3. Rangers F Rick Nash has 16 goals and 35 points in 40 games against the Canucks.