New York Rangers: Make or Break Game Against the Philadelphia Flyers Tomorrow

When you’re a blogger and you call a defenseman one of the best defensively in the league, we get what happened last night.

In the opening minute of the game, Rangers defenseman Marc Staal coughed up the puck and the Flyers took a 1-0 lead just 40 seconds into the game last night.

Fortunately for the Rangers they turned it around, dominated the first period and played good enough in the second and third periods to win last night’s game in regulation.

That leaves them in a tie for 8th place with the Flyers as each team has 86 points. Simply put, if the Rangers win tonight they are in the playoffs.

That’s all there is to it. Last night we had five scenarios , today we have one.

If the Rangers win and they are in.

Notes:

• Ryan Callahan left in the middle of the second period last night, he did not practice today according to Andrew Gross and right now it does not appear that he will play in the finale.
• It does appear that Brian Boyle will play in the season finale. He’s skated again today and he seems to be chomping at the bit to get back in there.
• If Boyle does play, hopefully he doesn’t play on the forth line. That line of Jody Shelley , Artem Anisimov , and Brandon Prust put on the ice for defensive reasons has contributed a combined 16 points over the last nine games.
• With a win earlier today, Boston has clinched a spot in the east, but the Rangers can still overtake Philly with a win in the final game. They could also step into second place if Montreal loses in regulation in their final game.
• 7th place in the east would likely put the Rangers up against either New Jersey or Buffalo. I think it is safe to say they’d rather face New Jersey, but that’s probably up for debate.
• Montreal is facing the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight so the chances that they will get at least one point are pretty good. That would leave the Rangers, if they get in, to face the Capitals in the first round.
• As usual Henrik Lundqvist is expected to start tomorrow.

I’ll be back with more later…Until then, I have a question—who would you rather see the Rangers face in the opening round?

New Jersey or Buffalo?

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