Game #1: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers Open Thread

After months of waiting, New York Rangers hockey is back. The team kicks off their centennial season tonight at Madison Square Garden with new head coach Mike Sullivan taking on the team he won back-to-back Stanley Cups with, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Last season, the Rangers also opened up their season against the Penguins and won 6-0. We won't discuss what happened after that.

After missing time in training camp, J.T. Miller and Artemi Panarin were full participants in the team's last practice and will play. Vladislav Gavrikov will make his Rangers debut on the top pair with Adam Fox. Gavrikov should provide a steady and consistent defensive presence, which will help get the best version of Fox. Conor Sheary, Taylor Raddysh, and Noah Laba will also make their Rangers debut tonight. 

Player to Watch: Noah Laba

Not only is Laba making his Blueshirts debut, but he will also be making his NHL debut. Laba has stood out all offseason and won the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award as the best rookie in Rangers training camp. During the preseason, he stood out as a two-way player and netted two goals and four assists in six games. Laba will center the team’s third line with Sheary and Raddysh on the wings. Of all the kids, Laba was the only one who avoided being sent down to Hartford, as he beat out Juuso Parssinen for the third-line center spot. Laba has done enough to earn a spot on the roster; now he has to prove he belongs in the NHL. 

Enjoy the game!