Bantering Points: 4/2/23

Here are today's news and links:

Rangers News:

Mollie Walker ponders how the Blueshirts will divide the remaining six goaltending starts among Igor Shesterkin and Jaroslav Halak (NY Post)

Walker also notes that New York's recent lack of offense could prompt Gerard Gallant to toss the current forward lines into the blender prior to the playoffs (NY Post)

Colin Stephenson makes the case for the Carolina Hurricanes as the preferred opening round playoff opponent for the Rangers as opposed to the New Jersey Devils (Newsday)

Matt Grazel lists four players to keep an eye on in the final half dozen games of the regular season (The Hockey Writers)

Around the NHL:

Last night's results, specifically Tampa Bay's 4-0 victory over the New York Islanders, locked in a rematch of last year's first round series between the Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs as the first playoff series of 2023 to be locked in (Sportsnet)

Forwards Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Clayton Keller have been named as the league's three stars of the week (TSN)