BOSTON — The Bruins will play the New York Rangers for the first time this season Thursday night at TD Garden.
The defending Eastern Conference champions have overcome a slow start to the campaign with an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 games. The Rangers and Bruins currently sit in the two wild card playoff spots with 52 points each, but New York has played four fewer games.
The B’s will catch a break with Rangers superstar goaltender Henrik Lundqvist not starting in net. Instead, backup Cam Talbot will be between the pipes, per Andrew Gross of the Bergen Record. Talbot has never played against the Bruins.
Tuukka Rask likely will start for the Bruins after being the first goalie off the ice at the team’s morning skate.
These Original Six clubs usually play physical, one-goal games. In fact, two of the three meetings last season were decided by a single goal, and the other — a 6-3 B’s win — was very competitive until the third period.
“Both teams play sound defensively and play hard,” Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron said. “There’s not much room on the ice. Both teams play with high pace but also with a strong forecheck and want to win battles. It’s always tough matchups.”
Here’s a quick preview of Wednesday’s game.
TV, Radio Information: NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub
Season Series:Â First meeting
Record: Boston (23-15-6, fourth in Atlantic), New York (24-12-4, fourth in Metropolitan)
Bruins Player To Watch: Rask has elevated his performance over the last few weeks after an inconsistent start to the season. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is unbeaten in regulation (3-0-2) in five January starts with a .931 save percentage. Rask’s improved play also has helped Boston’s penalty kill go 22 for 23 in January.
Rangers Player To Watch: Rick Nash is enjoying a Hart Trophy-caliber campaign for New York with 26 goals, which ties him with former Bruin Tyler Seguin for the NHL lead. Nash has five points (three goals, two assists) in his last five games, and he also has played pretty well against the Bruins in recent seasons, with five points (two goals, three assists) in his last five games. However, he failed to score a single goal in Boston’s five-game second-round playoff series win over New York in 2013.
Key Stat For Bruins: Boston ranks 11th in the NHL with an 8.28 shooting percentage — an improvement from the first three months of the season when it was in the bottom third of the league. An improved shooting percentage, along with impressive puck possession, as evidenced by their 52.97 Corsi-for percentage (sixth-best in the league) at even strength, are two of the factors behind the Bruins’ recent resurgence.
Key Stat For Rangers: New York ranks fourth in goals scored per game and is receiving a balanced goal-scoring effort. Eleven Rangers players have five or more goals scored, including six guys with eight-plus tallies. The Rangers also have the ninth-best power play, and four players have four or more goals with the man advantage. This kind of scoring depth will present a tough challenge for the B’s.
