Rangers at Ducks
The New York Rangers only need to turn back the calendar one year to recall the last time they posted a three-game road sweep of the California contingent. Looking to avoid its fifth three-game skid of the season, New York begins its trek through the Golden State on Wednesday with a date against the Anaheim Ducks.
"Any time you get the opportunity to be together as a group and play against some good teams out West, it's going to be good for us," Rangers center Eric Staal told Newsday. "We have to pick ourselves up and have a big week out West." While the Rangers are even in points with the second-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division while playing one more game, Anaheim snapped a three-game slide (0-2-1) with a 7-1 rout of New Jersey on Monday to inch closer to Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles. Improved play at Honda Center certainly has provided a lift for the Ducks, who are 9-0-1 in their last 10 home games. Corey Perry scored versus the Devils for his 21st goal at Honda Center this season and netted his eighth tally in 13 career meetings with the Rangers in a 3-2 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 22.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, MSG Plus (New York), FSN West (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE RANGERS (39-23-7): Derick Brassard scored in his third straight contest in Sunday's 5-3 setback against Pittsburgh to extend his point streak to four games (three goals, two assists) and recorded three points (two tallies) in the first meeting with Anaheim. The 28-year-old Quebec native has scored four goals and set up another in his last three games versus the Ducks and has collected 13 tallies and 17 points in 21 career encounters with the team. Mats Zuccarello, who scored the overtime winner on Dec. 22, has registered one goal and four assists in his last three contests.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (38-21-9): Jakob Silfverberg recorded his first career hat trick against New Jersey, and his personal-best four-point performance versus the Devils doubled his output over the previous nine games. "It wasn't anything really pretty. It was just shooting pucks and winning battles in front of the net and putting rebounds in. That’s how you score in this league," the 25-year-old Swede told the Orange County Register. Frederik Andersen has done a nice job preventing opponents from doing precisely that as he is 14-1-1 in his last 16 decisions, but he was blitzed for three goals on seven shots before being relieved in his last appearance against the Rangers.
OVERTIME
1. Rangers D Keith Yandle has scored one goal and set up four others during his five-game point streak.
2. Ducks C Rickard Rakell notched a goal and an assist on Dec. 22 for his first points in four career games versus the Rangers.
3. The Rangers have recorded one power-play goal in each of their last five games after going 1-for-12 in their previous six contests.