Maple Leafs at Rangers
The New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs are both coming off a bye week, although each team had decidedly different results in their previous game. The Rangers will be hoping that the layoff did not stem the momentum from a spectacular comeback at Columbus when they host the Maple Leafs on Friday night.
The Rangers are 5-1-0 since the holiday break, capped by a stirring 5-4 win against the red-hot Blue Jackets in which they scored four unanswered goals. New York leads the league with 144 goals -- 26 of them coming in its last five wins -- and is expected to have injured forwards Rick Nash and Pavel Buchnevich back in the lineup. The Maple Leafs had a seven-game point streak halted in a 5-3 loss to nemesis Montreal -- their 13th straight setback against the Canadiens. Rookie Auston Matthews, the top overall pick in last year's draft, has met expectations with 21 goals in his first 39 games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (18-13-8): Matthews has been on a spree with 15 goals in his last 20 games to earn Toronto's only selection to the All-Star Game, but he isn't the only rookie thriving for the club. Mitch Marner, who was drafted No. 4 overall in 2015, has amassed 32 points in 39 games and has three goals and nine assists over the past 11 contests. The Maple Leafs feature a potent power play, scoring twice in each of the last three games and converted 6-of-16 during that span.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (28-13-1): Nash has missed eight games due to a groin injury while Buchnevich has been idle since Nov. 12, although he played three games with their American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford this week. "It feels ready to go. It was a tough practice today," Nash said. "You're always nervous before a game coming back from an injury, but I'm looking forward to getting it going." Buchnevich was on a tear before the back injury put him on the shelf, scoring in each of his last four games.
OVERTIME
1. Michael Grabner, who has five goals and two assists in his last two games, has tallied seven times in 15 games versus Toronto.
2. Matthews has scored 14 of his goals in 20 road games.
3. Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist is 13-8-5 with a 2.77 goals-against average versus the Maple Leafs.