For the third and final time this season, the Blueshirts will square off with their in-state rivals from Buffalo tonight. It’ll be the Rangers and Sabres squaring off at Madison Square Garden as Gerard Gallant’s squad attempts to complete a sweep of the three game season series. New York staved off the Sabres with a 5-4 home victory in November, and followed that up with a 2-1 road win in December.

New York’s first two games following the trade deadline have been a mystery. The team was blitzed by a New Jersey Devils team doing nothing aside from playing out the string on Tuesday, but the Rangers responded with a dominant victory over a Pittsburgh Penguins team they’re in a dog fight for home ice in a potential first round series with two days ago. The Sabres are another team going through the motions at this point, but the Rangers can’t afford to take them lightly.

Player to Watch: Tyler Motte

While Andrew Copp has tallied three points in his first two games as a Ranger, Tyler Motte is yet to find the scoresheet. In spite of that, Motte’s presence has been felt on the penalty kill and 4th line, serving as a much needed NHL-caliber body for New York’s forward corps. Look for Motte to bring energy in spite of the limited minutes he’ll skate tonight.

Enjoy the game!