Game #77: New York Rangers vs Detroit Red Wings Open Thread

The Blueshirts are back in action for an Original Six matchup in Hockeytown. Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit is the site for tonight’s matchup between the Rangers and Red Wings. After opening Wednesday’s contest against the New Jersey Devils by doing their best Charlestown Chiefs impression, the Rangers will look to get back to their usual brand of high octane hockey against a Red Wings squad with some similarities to the Blueshirts.

New York won the first two meetings of the season series, both taking place at Madison Square Garden in November, and will be looking for a sweep tonight. The Red Wings did not have former Blueshirt Patrick Kane in the lineup for either of those games, but he’ll don the Winged Wheel tonight in his first game against the Rangers since his unremarkable Broadway stint down the stretch of 2023. Kane will look to help the Red Wings, who currently sit in point behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot, earn a key two points in their playoff pursuit, while the Rangers seek out two points in the hopes of holding off Boston for the top spot in the conference.

Player to Watch: K’Andre Miller

One of the four combatant’s from Wednesday’s line brawl to be ejected following the fights, Miller (along with Jacob Trouba, Matt Rempe, and Barclay Goodrow) logged two seconds of ice time prior to exiting the contest. That meant the remaining ten forwards and four defenseman all logged heavier minutes than usual, so expect heavy doses of Miller and the rest of the ejected players as Peter Laviolette looks to take advantage of their fresh legs relative to their teammates.

Enjoy the game!