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| NEW YORK RANGERS | ||
46-21-12 (104 points; .658%)
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7:00 P.M. – SATURDAY, APRIL 8 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH |
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TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Market) |
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| PROJECTIONS: | ||
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| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 31% | ||
| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER THE 538: 33% | ||
| CAESAR'S SPORTSBOOK: NYR -267 | ||
The New York Rangers make their second trip of the season to Nationwide Arena for the Columbus Blue Jackets' final Saturday game of the season.
Here's what to know when the puck drops between the Metro division foes:
| CBJ | SEASON STATS | NYR |
|---|---|---|
| 2.63 | GOALS FOR | 3.35 |
| 4.03 | GOALS AGAINST | 2.67 |
| -1.40 | GOAL DIFFERENTIAL | +0.68 |
| 18.2% | POWER PLAY | 23.9% |
| 75.6% | PENALTY KILL | 80.7% |
| 29.3 | SHOTS FOR | 31.7 |
| 35.5 | SHOTS AGAINST | 29.4 |
| 44.9% | 5V5 CF% | 49.8% |
| 48.7% | FACE-OFF % | 49.0% |
| RANGERS: LAST THREE GAMES | ||
| SUN, 4/2 | @ Capitals | W, 5-2 |
| WED, 4/5 | vs. Lightning | W, 6-3 |
| THU, 4/6 | @ Blues | OTL, 3-2 |
| RANGERS: TEAM LEADERS | ||
| GOALS | Mika Zibanejad | 39 |
| ASSISTS | Artemi Panarin | 63 |
| POINTS | Artemi Panarin | 89 |
TALKING POINTS: NYR
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The Rangers are at a 97% chance to finish with the third spot in the Metro division, according to SportsClubStats. That would put them in a likely match-up against the New Jersey Devils, who beat the Blue Jackets 8-1 Thursday night. But any outside chance of moving up to the second spot (and thus having home-ice advantage) would require a win at Nationwide Arena on Saturday night — so do not expect the Rangers to rest anyone or pump the brakes in any way.
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Artemi Panarin had 82 and 87 points in his two seasons as a Blue Jacket, and leads the Rangers with 89 points this year. While that was a mile-wide lead for the team in points during his time with Columbus, Breadman has just two more points than Mika Zibanejad, whose 39 goals leads New York.
- The Rangers power play is hot. They've scored five times on 11 attempts over their last three games and sit at a 7th-ranked 23.9% on the year. The penalty kill has been sharp, too, killing seven of the last eight.
TALKING POINTS: CBJ
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With just four games left, every game is pivotal in regards to where the Blue Jackets end up in May's draft lottery. Losses are losses, sure, but losses also can help position Columbus for the draft. Think of it as a win-win.
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Kirill Marchenko's 21 goals trails Patrik Laine by just one, and with Laine out for the season, the Russian Rookie has a good chance at finishing second on the team in goals. One-third of Marchenko's goals have come on the power play.
- Jack Roslovic is one point away from tying his career high in points of 45, which was set last season. Eric Robinson has the chance at a career high in points, too. He's at 24, just three behind last year's career mark of 27.
PROJECTED CBJ LINES
Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Johnny Gaudreau | 38 | Boone Jenner | 86 | Kirill Marchenko |
| 19 | Liam Foudy | 96 | Jack Roslovic | 91 | Kent Johnson |
| 50 | Eric Robinson | 7 | Sean Kuraly | 52 | Emil Bemstrom |
| 46 | Joona Luoto | 21 | Josh Dunne | 41 | Hunter McKown |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Gavin Bayreuther | 2 | Andrew Peeke |
| 75 | Tim Berni | 27 | Adam Boqvist |
| 77 | Nick Blankenburg | 44 | Erik Gudbranson |
| Starting Goalie | Back-Up | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Michael Hutchinson | 32 | Jon Gillies |
