Game #22: San Jose Sharks vs New York Rangers Open Thread

After kicking off the month of December with a win and extending their winning streak to four games, the Rangers are back in action. The San Jose Sharks are in town and defeated the New York Islanders last night, so Gerard Gallant’s squad will look to hand them a different result tonight.

This contest marks the first of a bit of a difficult stretch for the Blueshirts. Although a majority of the games aren’t against particularly strong teams, six of their next eight games will come in pairs of back-to-back sets. With another home game set for tomorrow, the Rangers will look to earn two points and roll their lines relatively evenly in order to be as rested as they can be for tomorrow.

Player to Watch: Barclay Goodrow

Tonight’s game will mark Goodrow’s first meeting with his former team. Goodrow’s second to last game as a Shark came in February 2020 against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, and the Sharks traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning two days later. Although Goodrow took a puck to the face last game that put his availability in question, he’ll be in the lineup tonight. Look for Goodrow to play with energy and physicality that traded him away.

Enjoy the game!