NY Rangers (53-23-4) vs NY Islanders (37-27-15)
13 Apr 2024 12:30 PM EDT at MSG
TV ABC, ESPN+
The NY Rangers lead the Metro division and the Eastern conference by one point over Carolina with two games left on the schedule. What ten days ago looked like a certainty now appears in danger. Time to put on the big boy pants!
The Rangers are 7-3-0 in their last ten and are coming off losses to division rivals NYI and Philadelphia. They were not pretty losses either. The Hurricanes have easy games against Chicago and Columbus to complete their regular season thus the NYR are now in a position where they must win their last two games to be assured of 1st place in the Metro. That would also net them 1st place in the Eastern conference and home ice through the SCF.
The Islanders, harvester of Bettman points extraordinaire, control their own destiny but still have not locked up a wildcard or 3rd in Metro spot for the playoffs. Clearly, they will have motivation and desperation. The big question is – can the NYR muster any? Or will the Rangers mimic the fairy tale Hare to the Hurricane’s Tortoise?
Shesterkin is expected in goal today (34-17-2, 2.65 GAA, 0.911 SV%) while Sorokin gets the nod for the Icelanders (24-19-11, 3.02 GAA, 0.908 SV%). Shesterkin has three shutouts this season (CGY, STL, CAR) and it would be an ideal time to put the team on his shoulders and notch another this afternoon. However, his last ten games have been a mixed bag, 6-4, 3.10 GAA and 0.891 SV%.
As to the rest of the lineup, indications from practice are that Rempe will get the nod and Brodzinski is Prucha’d. There may also be a shift in the defensive pairings, a re-uniting of Miller and Schneider which worked fairly well while Trouba was injured. If so, Trouba will pair with Gustafsson as Jones still looks to be a healthy scratch. Don’t get too caught up in who is 1st/2nd/3rd pair.
The Islanders report no injured players and have scratched Samuel Bolduc, Oliver Wahlstrom, Robert Bortuzzo, Hudson Fasching. It is possible that first pair defender Dobson may miss the game after some upper-body damage on Thursday night.
The referees today are Jean Hebert and Eric Furlatt along with linespersons Brandon Gawryletz and Dan Kelley. Below is sourced from Scoutingtherefs.com
The key to the Game: Take no prisoners, just win baby!
On this date in history: In 2002, Brian Leetch became the first NYR to reach the 700 assist mark. Chris Chelios also reached the 700 assists on the same date.
Probable NYR lineup
Forwards
Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider ⋄ Mika Zibanejad ⋄ Jack Roslovic
Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin ⋄ Vincent Trocheck ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière
Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle ⋄ Alex Wennberg ⋄ Kaapo Kakko
Fourth line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey ⋄ Barclay Goodrow ⋄ Matt Rempe
Defensemen
Top pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren ⋄ Adam Fox
Second pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson ⋄ Jacob Trouba
Third pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller ⋄ Braden Schneider
Goalies
Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick
Healthy scratch: F Jonny Brodzinski, D Chad Ruhwedel, D Zac Jones
Injured: none
In the Cooler: none
Long-term IR: F Filip Chytil (upper body) and F Blake Wheeler (lower body)
338 responses to “It’s Go Time!”
Please add the refs’ home addresses, just in case.
I’m not ready yet!
rangers 17
fish sticks 0
GwG Rempenator
Here’s hoping Remp the Ent gets to unload on Pageau before he gets tossed.
Furlatt and Hebert are 3rd and 16th for most games among the current 50 refs.
I put the ref stuff in mostly out of curiosity if they were the type to call a lot of penalties and also what the team records were.
Apparently Dobson is out but no confirmation on who is coming in.
If we lose today, chances are we will play the isles in the first round; a team that will have had two straight recent victories over us. I’m sure that will bode well for our postseason hopes.
Despite I’m not the FIRST today, I have to admit on the run, that for some reason this game for me is more important than anything else after the last, embarrassing lost to Fishmongers, where they open a hunting season on Rangers top players, with the total and shameful connivance of the referees. Not only I want Rangers to win, but to tear them like Charlie the dog into pieces of stinking rags…My hatred to them is so palpable…
Merlot or Chablis,
Brian Bole has a big head, a REALLY big head. (not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
LGR! your playoffs start now.
Dobson huge loss for Isles
…and please, stop with this Rempe worshiping. You shall not make for yourself an idol…Exodus 20:4). Somehow it is very bothersome. What, is he the only missing link we need? Yeah, second coming of Christ…
Real savior – now, Stanley Cup is ours. Start cutting paper for ticker-tape parade on Broadway…Let him first learn how to play game. Entertainment will come with that in a better and less important time that now.
LGR
Perhaps a window into the collective fan base psychology we know how charmin soft the team has been for years that we have to overreact to a Rempire State Building in the lineup for pent up repression of not having a tough team to root for.
Plus he’s fun.
Well boys and girls we all want to know who the Rangers really are. By 3:30 we will know.
So…hope springs eternal.
Kreider-Zibanejad-Roslovic Miller-Schneider Shesterkin are the starters
Vesey should be back up on RW 1B, that was the only effective game that line has had lately
LGR!
President’s Trophy must game, here we come!
just got off the can.
Here goes…hopefully, more than nothing.
Rempe beats up entire fish stick team including back up goalie.
This game will tell us all we need to know going into the playoffs. If they don’t come out ready to play from the start and take it to the Isles for 60 minutes, then our expectations should be very low for the first round of the playoffs, regardless of opponent.
Seb aho is such a punk, really dislike that guy
Good start. Need to score early and often.
great shift by Rempe
Good Shift by 4th line!! Rempe should keep his gloves on but punish them with clean hits.
keep shooting, good things will happen.
Gave it away….in front of the net 🤦🏼♂️
When the puck comes to front of rangers net, it seems to stay there
Thought I was going to get the OTA broadcast but it is not stable enough.. unfortunately all the streams are about a minute behind
I hate the Clutterbucken Islandgirls – may they all end up cleaning out E3’s septic tank.
My dog’s ears smelled like fish this morning. Coincidence?
I hate watching other teams go to the net every chance they can while watching the Rangers do their perimeter thing. At least, so far, it’s been less perimeter shooting than usual.
Coolio absolutely hammered Martian in front of bench when he saw him comjbg
nice!
Whining and complaining!
Gravy time for a new dog, clearly wrong allegiance!
From dominating to severely dominated in no time.
Chaos continues to follow Trouba
smoking in the dynamite shed
Bad pass. SHOOT!
I hate when they pass up a good shot to force a pass.
Every Isles shot is a scramble in front of Igor. Every rangers shot is… well you know.
Pretty pathetic in own zone so far…
Laffy needs to take that shot or pass it off Sorokin’s pads.
As good as they are in the offensive zone, the Panarin line is a disaster in the Zone. Panarin and Laf have no commitment to defense. That’s going to be a problem in the playoffs.
Double-shift Rempe pronto.
great shift by 3rd line
win the wall!
Vaunted Rangers power play goes to work…
Whenberger draws the penalty!
Isle defenders really not forced to move very much
Icelanders clogging the middle in front of their goalie again. Need to find a way through that.
Rempe is playing. Why aren’t we winning?! 🙂
Goodrow with the lazy penalty. Though it was a VERY weak call.
Holding nothing
Assdancers powerplay… watch bodies and pucks go to the net.
He didnt grab the Jersey, Ferraro
Oh, ookay that was holding
That replay looked like Kreider hit the bar.
Kreider to slow to decide
Jesus H Christ
Stupid penalty by Kakko. Way to give Islanders momentum going into next period.
Lots going on, nothing going in.
Dumb ppenalty 😔
Thank god their power play sucks
fuggin Kakko – another soft penalty by the Finn
was he bleeding? Barely saw a drop and the dooch ref calls it a double
admi
Kappo Crappo
I hate the Assdancers
CK20 has to hit Mika on the wide open cross feed on that 2on1
They played pretty well, but very disappointing they have nothing to show for it. They needed to get up early and put pressure on Islanders. Isles seem more committed to defense lately and that usually prevails over offense and wins many tough playoff style games. I certainly hope that wasn’t their good period for today’s game. They need to play two more good periods.
Rempe will do more damage to Azzdancers by hitting them into the boards 10-15 times than throwing hands
More Bread floating higher in ozone; not a recipe for success in POs
Is it possible to send mail to the players? I’ll spend the coin to send Mika one of these before the playoffs
They should press the 1-3-1 and pick up Isles D earlier. They are not good passers of pucks. Challenge is our D is slow as fugg so they can’t stretch higher in neutral zone.
They need to stop with the ’94 nostalgia on the broadcast. They’re gonna jinx us like Sam does.
SN – Agree or Kreider should have shot low far side, so if Sorokin made the save a rebound would have been kicked out to Mika. Going high short side was not a smart play, especially if you are going to miss the net.
Expect Isles to throw many more pucks on the net and crash the net big time on this PP.
It’s embarrassing as heck when national broadcast has to bring up the 54 years of competitive futility followed by 30 more years.
I do like this bit when Mess shows PK his names on the Cup
Kakko wipe that smile off your shield
WHO THE F@#$ SHOOTS ON A 3 ON 1??!!
3 on 1 at least got a shot. We’re all happy Mika didn’t pass right?
Not surprising. Lindgren is as bad as the rest of the team on breakaways.
Another weak one
Lindy is a moron
Did the isles call a TO?
BS call on Lindgren
3on1 with Fox in middle and Meeka takes it himself
Asking a bit much for lindgren, whom Igor makes fun of for not being able to score, to bury that breakaway no?
Rangers wasting way too many grade A chances. That never bodes well for a team.
BOOM SCHNEIDALAKA!!!
Oh yeah…..shorty.
Schneider the handyman comes thru
The Handyman!
Way to be Schneider!!!!!!!!!
First time in 4 games against the isles that we scored first
Woot
Wow u kidding?
Holy crap. We suck again
Cmon Fox, get the puck down the ice you idiot
Shesty wants that back
Typical!!!
Not sure to be more annoyed with Trouba and Igor or the freakin joy of the announcers
That was onside?
That’s offside
great play to drag him offsides
this should be no goal
B a mile. Somehow abc can’t tell.
hahaha
Suck it, Icelanders!!
Good. But this one would be totally on Shesty…
Shocking we won an offside challenge
Good thing they were right. Its a little tough to start the first seven minutes shorthanded.
Btw, still no even-strength goals in 7 periods+
Ranger zone-clearing prowess on full display
Isles with their skill don’t think they’re too good to clog the NZ
Rangers are the only team that can give the puck away on a shot.
Somebody please explain to me why Gustafson is playing. He is awful at both ends of the ice.
Gus had a giveaway hat trick that shift
Puck-clearing at it’s finest
VC sux – get the fuggin puck out of the Dzone arsewipe
SOFT. SOFT SOFT SOFT.
Well that was garbage
That was a Vesey special.
VC multiple oyveys
too many giveaways and turnovers
Too much lurkin around Shesturkin.
Have to say I did not mind that brief moment of Rempe and Bread together
Olga 😂
32 days since Shesterkin’s last shutout.
this team needs Zac Jones too break the forecheck and get in on the rush. Lavy better wake up
Pee Wee Hockey 101, get the puck out of the zone. Awful, but typical. Don’t take control of game when you should, let other team hang around……..we all know how that goes, it doesn’t end well. So dam frustrating watching this team.
I’d put Rempke with Kreider and Mika
Perimeter action
Ref blocks initial clearing attempt on the goal; what else can they do for the Azzdancers?
Papa that you need to say that about Jones is an indictment of the rest of the team
Best ES shift of the game
Jones is a weapon, Beezer
Tempe having a strong game on the wall. Me likey; Bring up Edstrom and sit VC
Rempe is playing well. Maybe he should be seeing some more minutes.
Good shift by the fourth… didn’t have to get the puck out of their own end. Rempe winning battles behind the net keeping possession
Vegas knows the Ranger team as well as we do. Not even in the top five odds for the cup.
rempe -1
i’m watching a different game than some of you. and definitely no to him on 2nd line with mika and chris
why does Roy look constipated all the time
Crowd is almost entirely out of this one.
Alex, Remke had nothing to do with the goal allowed
ROSLOVIC IS A WASTE OF SKATES
Janice Rossi got les since time than Rempe so far. Seems equitable to me.
Trocheck – what a workhorse!
So far period one was their good one even though they scored in the second.
*less ice time. Yeesh.
Jones – Fox
Trouba – Lindgren
Miller – Schneider
This is looking ugly
I F@#$ING HATE THIS F@#$ING TEAM
I hate this f**king team.
Pyles have scored last 3 goals, 2 have counted.
Rangers are in deep sh1t
Avoiding high expectations into the playoffs. Smart.
We’re going to play a team in the first round that has made us look very vulnerable recently.
Guess Trouba’s not the problem with Miller…
What is KAM doing there?
Miller covering no one in front.
I’m confused. Which team has the best NHL record? The one in blue or the one in white?
Everyone get ready for the second straight first round loss to a tristate area team.
Wow…..I have a feeling of foreboding.
Rangers are not creating dangerous chances. The Islanders are.
I assume the Rangers want to win but have no idea what it takes do so at this time of year. That is not a talent condition….it is a heart condition.
These last-minute goals are just brutal.
Shame! I can’t watch that. Not healthy, considering my heart history rap sheet…
Not for long C3p0
Can we all just finally admit that this roster SUCKS. Bunch of figure skaters…. From now on, half of this team needs to wear a skating costume with sequins. Perhaps Johnny Weir can train them….
KAM can’t be double teaming there without knowing forward has his back.
This team has no compete level in tough games. Is Panarin playing today? I guess he is getting into playoff form. This team is a joke.
Well still 20 to go but need to get one early before Isles go into lockdown
President’s Trophy goes bye bye in the game right after this one.
8 straight periods without an even-strength goal.
They need to take more penalties. Apparently that’s the only way they can score right now.
they’re better than us. hate to say it
and me the idiot got game 5 first rd. can you say elimination to those guys. i hate my life
This is EXACTLY how I figured this season would play out…. Strong when they’re allowed to dance around, and hot garbage that gets picked off and stonewalled when it really matters. THIS is the reason I was indifferent about this team going into the season and my intuition was 100% correct. They don’t have the heart and you CANT teach that.
MKH the problem is probably more that two other lines are not doing very much either.
I’m starting to feel sad. The Rangers are a Greek tragedy.
Holy cow, I sure wouldn’t depend on you guys in a crisis.
Rangers just need a good 20 minutes.
upcoming period most important to Rangers in a long long time.
Drury is 1-2 in trade deadline acquisitions in his three seasons.
Let’s Go Mets!
Very likely we ain’t winning the cup…. however some ex Rangers or Rangers will.
Getting out coached too. Lavy has the last change and obviously has no idea how to match these lines.
FELLOW BONEHEADS :
NOW YOU KNOW WHY NEIL SMITH TRADED 25% of the roster including 2 future Hall of Famers to bulk up the team and win the first Stanley Cup in 54 years.
This CHARMIN HUGGIE SOFT character is and has been part of the Rangers FOREVER.
thanks SAM
Let’s go Yankees!
and this one will last a lifetime
Fifth Row Miller.
Rangers haven’t lost 3 in a row since the second week of January.
That’s also the only time this season so far.
Mess too often drawn into Slewfoot’s inanity.
Somebody offered me a ticket for this game and I could not go for my own health and sanity.
Plenty of time.
They could have blown away the wins record for the franchise. Now they’ll be lucky to get out of the tie.
If…..more like when they pull the inevitable fold up….the organization needs to do some soul searching and make some changes. Not a when it counts winning culture.
Twenty minutes left to tell us what they truly.
I hope….that is all I can…. it’s all we can do. It’s in their hands…so….
If they lose this one, they might as well rest as many players as they can in the next one. Bring up the Wolfpack.
Islanders are playing with the gift of desperation. Rangers are just not measuring up at 5 on 5.
Plenty of time for this bowl of baby carrots to show some steel
Lavi should double shift Panarin w/ Goodrow+Rempe and double Rempe with Kreids and Mika
The forwards are allergic to shooting from the slot.
Aho is a little b-word
Another Icelander third period where we get no calls from the refs.
They need to get chaos in front of Sorokin – that is Rempe. Then they need snipers to take advantage
why does this 2-1 deficit feel like 5-0?
what happened to our confidence in the Rangers? What happened to the Rangers’ confidence in themselves??
Great low percentage shot by Miller🙄
4 power plays for the Saints, only 1 against.
come the eff on
High sticks only count when a Ranger does it.
The face stick certainly wasn’t a penalty
There’s never any Rangers around for rebounds. Even Schneider had to get his own.
Bread in PO form…not in a good way
Maybe a game saver….maybe
Time for another shorty. This is the only time we’re any good.
Well that may have been the save of the game, let’s see how the pk goes
Saints on their 5th PP.
Mika takes over the third period with two goals?
They look great short-handed…
Miller got away with being trapped behind goalie on pk
dumbarse
At least we’re not getting out-goaltended. We’re getting out-defensed. Shesterkin has faced less shots but they’ve been way more difficult than the no-sweat shots that Sorokin has had.
Lindy getting beat like a red headed mule all game
Why did everyone but Lindgren disappear?
These clowns don’t stand a chance in the playoffs. I don’t care how hot Shesty gets.
Guess the One-Period-Rangers already showed up earlier.
I must have missed it
Artemi Panarin just smashed his stick on the boards while sitting on #NYR bench says Mollie
So are Breads line mates going to make any plays or just wait for him to pass it to them.
has Laffy hit anyone in the last, say, 40 games?
I should have started drinking earlier in the game, at this point it’s won’t be no fun