Game #14: Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers Open Thread
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The New York Rangers are back at home taking on the Carolina Hurricanes after finishing off their road trip with three straight wins. The Rangers will look to use this momentum to find their first win at Madison Square Garden this season. The Hurricanes currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 14 points in 11 games played.
Former Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller is still on injured reserve and will not suit up against his former team. Along with Miller, Jaccob Slavin will also be missing from Carolina's blue line. Urho Vaakanainen is out with a lower-body injury, paving the way for Matthew Robertson to return to the lineup. Igor Shesterkin will also be protecting the pipes tonight for the Rangers.
Player to Watch: Will Cuylle
What started off as a slow start for Will Cuylle in the top six has quickly turned around. Through the Blueshirts' first nine games, Cuylle's only point came in the form of a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, in the team's last four games, Cuylle recorded the game-winning goal in overtime against the Seattle Kraken along with four assists.
While Cuylle was certainly not the only Ranger to have a slow start to the season, it was certainly concerning to see him struggling to score in a top-six role. While it has been a small sample size, playing with Noah Laba and Alexis Lafrenière seems to bring out the best in him. Carolina is a physical team, and a good game from one of the Rangers' best 200-foot players would play a huge part in a victory today.
Enjoy the game!
