Rangers Vs. Panthers Preview: Rangers Look To Take Care Of Business In Florida

The New York Rangers will look to finish off the Florida Panthers tonight, as this will be the final meeting between these two clubs. The Florida Panthers are currently losers of six straight, and currently sit dead last in the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, the New York Rangers have begun to heat up at precisely the right time, as they are riding a three game winning streak.

The Rangers actually have a shot at clinching a playoff spot tonight in the event that they beat the Panthers, and the Winnipeg Jets lose in regulation to the Washington Capitals. As it stands right now, the Rangers are only one point out of the sixth seed, and three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for fifth place. Tonight could be a big one for the Rangers.

VS.

New York Rangers (24-17-4) vs New York Rangers (13-26-6)
BB&T Center - Sunrise, FL - 7:30 PM
Television: MSG | Radio: ESPN NY 98.7
Opponent's Blog: Litter Box Cats | Tickets: New York Rangers Tickets

Some Quick Thoughts:

• The New York Rangers are expected to be running with the same lineup once again, which means that Henrik Lundqvist will be getting a career high, 12th straight start.
• The Connecticut Whale were eliminated from qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs the other night, which means that Chris Kreider will likely remain with the Rangers, and will probably return to be scratched once Brian Boyle returns to action. According to the NY Post, J.T. Miller, Dylan McIlrath, Kris Newbury, Brandon Mashinter, Benn Ferriero, Brandon Segal, and Mike Vernace will likely be on the playoff taxi squad.

Projected Lineup:

Rick Nash - Derek Stepan - Ryan Callahan
Carl Hagelin - Brad Richards - Chris Kreider
Ryane Clowe - Derick Brassard - Mats Zuccarello
Arron Asham - Darroll Powe - Taylor Pyatt

Ryan McDonagh - Dan Girardi
Anton Stralman - Michael Del Zotto
Steve Eminger - John Moore

Henrik Lundqvist
Martin Biron

Scratches: Matt Gilroy (healthy), Roman Hamrlik (healthy), Marc Staal (upper-body), Derek Dorsett (upper-body), Brian Boyle (lower-body).