New York Rangers hope to add another win to their total against the Chicago Blackhawks
If there’s one type of game in the National Hockey League that’s always exciting, it’s an Original Six match-up. Madison Square Garden in New York City will be rocking when the New York
Rangers host the Chicago Blackhawks in what hopes to be an interesting game.
The Rangers (5-4-1) are coming off a 2-0 shutout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, 30 October.
Despite the win, the Blueshirts have been struggling with their consistency lately. Their power play has not been quite up to par, as the Rangers are currently ranked 17th overall with
the man advantage. Their penalty kill has been even worse, ranking 26th with an effectiveness of 77.3 per cent.
One thing that has been working to the Rangers’ advantage is the high number of shots taken each game. In an earlier game against the Carolina Hurricanes, they fired 43 shots at ‘Canes
goaltender Cam Ward. But the Canes would on to edge the Rangers with a score of 4-3.
Leading the way offensively for the Blueshirts is right-winger Ryan Callahan, who has scored four goals and seven assists for 11 points so far.
Left-winger Brandon Dubinsky currently leads the team with six goals to his name, while goalie Henrik Lundqvist has posted a 4-3 record with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .921 save
percentage. The team is currently without the services of forward Marian Gaborik, who has been shelved with an upper-body injury.
The Blackhawks, who are the defending Stanley Cup champions, have also had problems with their consistency. They have played 13 games so far, which is more than any other NHL team, and
have gone 7-5-1. A four-game winning streak was the team’s highlight of October, and they hope to get November off to a good start with a win over the Rangers.
Like the Rangers, the Hawks are also coming off of a win on the weekend. They outplayed the struggling Minnesota Wild on Saturday, skating off with a 3-1 win. One area where the Blackhawks
have excelled so far is on the power play. Their power play has been very effective, and is currently ranked third overall in the NHL as a result. Penalty killing has been another area of success for the Blackhawks. With an effectiveness of 85.4 per cent while
on the penalty kill, Chicago is ranked ninth overall in the league.
Forward Patrick Sharp has stepped up his game significantly this season, and has a big 15 points to show for it. Sharp currently leads all Blackhawks’ skaters with 10 goals and five assists,
while Norris Trophy-winning defenceman Duncan Keith leads the team with nine assists. Mart Turco has been doing very well in the Hawks’ net, posting a 6-2 record with a .920 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average.
The Blackhawks have been without two of their star players lately. Sniper Marian Hossa has been lost to an undisclosed upper-body injury, while defenceman Brian Campbell is currently on
the mend after suffering a knee injury in training camp. There is a chance that he may return to the line-up for the game against the Rangers.
An Original Six game is always full of action, and both teams are hoping to re-gain their consistency while they go for their second straight win. The action gets under way at Madison
Square Garden in New York City at 19:00.
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