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Open Game Thread: New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers

April 6th, 2019.

That was the last time the Rangers played an official NHL game. An overtime goal by Ryan Strome earned the Rangers two meaningless points to decrease their draft lottery odds by propelling themselves past the Buffalo Sabres into 26th place in the league wide standings.

As a result of that win, the Rangers won the draft lottery and were rewarded with the 2nd overall selection in the 2019 Entry Draft, while the Sabres slid from finishing 5th worst in the league to drafting 7th overall. The 2nd overall pick, Finnish sensation Kaapo Kakko, will be skating on the Blueshirts’ first line as his team welcomes the New Jersey Devils to town to open the pre-season. The full lineup has already been announced and it is as follows:

Jacob Trouba, Adam Fox, and Vitali Kravtsov are among the other notable players set to make their Rangers debuts tonight. Jack Hughes, the #1 overall pick taken ahead of Kakko in June, will not be skating for the Devils.

Player to Watch: Micheal Haley

Currently attending training camp on a professional tryout, Micheal Haley will look to make his second stint as a Ranger more successful than his first. The rugged veteran forward skated in nine regular season contests on Broadway during the lockout shortened 2013 season, failing to record a point while racking up 12 PIM’s before drawing into the lineup for two playoff games.

Since leaving the organization following the 13-14 season, Haley has bounced between the NHL and AHL levels for the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers. He dressed for 43 regular season games last season split between Florida and San Jose, and skated in 11 playoff games on a Sharks team loaded with forward depth. Look for him to assert himself physically tonight in an attempt to snag the roster spot that Brendan Lemieux currently has on lock.

Enjoy the game!

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