NEW YORK RANGERS at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Game #2
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Location: Air Canada Centre
Broadcast/Streaming: CBC, MSG
Opponent SBNation Site: Blueshirt Banter
WOOOOOOO
Fresh off wrecking Winnipeg’s home opener, the Leafs return home for their own. Toronto is stereotyped as having a quiet, staid building full of rich stiffs, but this is the most exciting team the town has had in fifteen years. Expect a showy intro and some noise.
It feels like every year we wonder if the Rangers have finally aged out of their window, and then they hang around and make the playoffs. Here it goes again anyway: have the Rangers aged out of their window? They traded Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to Arizona, and although they shuffled out Dan “Danger Ardi” Girardi in favour of Kevin Shattenkirk, this team is still relying on a 36-year-old Henrik Lundqvist, or worse, Ondrej Pavelec.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Forward Lines
Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Mitch Marner
Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Leo Komarov
Matt Martin - Dominic Moore - Connor Brown
Defence Pairings
Morgan Rielly - Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner - Nikita Zaitsev
Calle Rosen - Connor Carrick
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
Dominic Moore and Calle Rosen have cycled into the lineup, seemingly suggesting Mike Babcock considers the battles for 4C and 3LD to be ongoing. Worth noting this may also have a personal component:
Moore will play against former NYR team tomorrow, just as Fehr got start near his hometown in Winnipeg. Rosen in over Borgman too.
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) October 6, 2017
The Leafs continue to boast a murderous forward lineup, so that’s fun. Here are the Rangers, based on last game, care of Daily Faceoff.
New York Rangers
Forward Lines
Chris Kreider - Mika Zibanejad - Pavel Buchnevich
Rich Nash - Filip Chytil - Mats Zuccarello
Michael Grabner - Kevin Hayes - J.T. Miller
Jimmy Vesey - David Desharnais - Paul Carey
Defence Pairings
Ryan McDonagh - Kevin Shattenkirk
Brady Skjei - Brendan Smith
Marc Staal - Anthony DeAngelo
Goaltenders
Henrik Lundqvist
Ondrej Pavelec
Remember when Darren Dreger said the Leafs would have dealt Nylander if they’d gotten Vesey? Good times.
Anyway: Mika Zibanejad is dope and Mats Zuccarello is a wizard who will make at minimum one gorgeous play tonight, but that is not an especially great forward lineup. At least they aren’t playing Girardi and Staal in their top four these days.
Contrary to earlier reports, Henrik Lundqvist will get the start, and not Ondrej Pavelec. Oh well.
Henrik Lundqvist expected to start in net for #NYR vs #Leafs tonight.#TMLTalk #Rangers #NHL
— Dave McCarthy (@DaveAMcCarthy) October 7, 2017
This is a winnable game. So let’s win it. Go Leafs Go.
