The New York Rangers could well be the only winless team by the end of the night ? Columbus is the other but is home to Dallas earlier Tuesday ? as the Blueshirts face long odds in winning at reigning Western Conference champion Vancouver. The Canucks are -180 betting favorites on WagerWeb.com.
Plus Vancouver gets a key piece back in center Ryan Kesler, the reigning Selke Trophy winner and arguably the team?s best player in last year?s playoffs. Kesler pronounced himself fit for tonight after participating in practice on Monday. He sat out the first five games of the season following hip surgery over the summer.
The 27-year-old Kesler pulled up lame in the final game of the Western Conference final against San Jose and limped off the ice. He returned to score the tying goal in the final seconds, and played all seven games in the Stanley Cup final. But he wasn?t the same, recording just one assist against the Bruins after seven goals and 18 points during his first 18 games of the playoffs. He had a career-high 41 goals during the regular season.
During Monday?s practice, Kesler skated in his normal position on the second line between Chris Higgins and Cody Hodgson. He?s also expected to rejoin the team?s top power-play unit with Henrik and Daniel Sedin. It appears Marco Sturm will be forced out of the lineup by Kesler?s return. He was signed as a free agent over the summer but has just two shots on goal and is a minus-4 through five games.
The Rangers have yet to play a home game and won?t until Oct. 27 as Madison Square Garden is being renovated. The Blueshirts enter the contest having been defeated by the Islanders, 4-2, on Saturday at Nassau Colieseum, and are now 0-1-2 (2 pts) to begin the season. Marc Staal has missed three games after being put on the Injured Reserve list on Oct. 5 due to a concussion. The Rangers? Wojtek Wolski ended a Canucks 17-game regulation unbeaten streak and 10-game road unbeaten streak last year in a 1-0 Rangers win in the teams? only meeting, but he?s not sure if he can play tonight. He?s only skated twice: Sunday and Monday at Rogers Arena since hurting his groin.
The Rangers have been held scoreless with the man-advantage so far this season, going 0-for-12 through their first three games. The Jets are the only other team in the NHL that has yet to score a power-play goal. At the other end, the Rangers have allowed three power play goals in 19 opportunities, including John Tavares? game-winning goal in the third period of Saturday?s loss to the Islanders.
New York ranked third among Eastern Conference teams vs. the Western Conference last season, posting an 11-7-0 record including a 4-3-0 mark against Northwest Division opponents.
Place your NHL hockey bets at our online sportsbook!
Plus Vancouver gets a key piece back in center Ryan Kesler, the reigning Selke Trophy winner and arguably the team?s best player in last year?s playoffs. Kesler pronounced himself fit for tonight after participating in practice on Monday. He sat out the first five games of the season following hip surgery over the summer.
The 27-year-old Kesler pulled up lame in the final game of the Western Conference final against San Jose and limped off the ice. He returned to score the tying goal in the final seconds, and played all seven games in the Stanley Cup final. But he wasn?t the same, recording just one assist against the Bruins after seven goals and 18 points during his first 18 games of the playoffs. He had a career-high 41 goals during the regular season.
During Monday?s practice, Kesler skated in his normal position on the second line between Chris Higgins and Cody Hodgson. He?s also expected to rejoin the team?s top power-play unit with Henrik and Daniel Sedin. It appears Marco Sturm will be forced out of the lineup by Kesler?s return. He was signed as a free agent over the summer but has just two shots on goal and is a minus-4 through five games.
The Rangers have yet to play a home game and won?t until Oct. 27 as Madison Square Garden is being renovated. The Blueshirts enter the contest having been defeated by the Islanders, 4-2, on Saturday at Nassau Colieseum, and are now 0-1-2 (2 pts) to begin the season. Marc Staal has missed three games after being put on the Injured Reserve list on Oct. 5 due to a concussion. The Rangers? Wojtek Wolski ended a Canucks 17-game regulation unbeaten streak and 10-game road unbeaten streak last year in a 1-0 Rangers win in the teams? only meeting, but he?s not sure if he can play tonight. He?s only skated twice: Sunday and Monday at Rogers Arena since hurting his groin.
The Rangers have been held scoreless with the man-advantage so far this season, going 0-for-12 through their first three games. The Jets are the only other team in the NHL that has yet to score a power-play goal. At the other end, the Rangers have allowed three power play goals in 19 opportunities, including John Tavares? game-winning goal in the third period of Saturday?s loss to the Islanders.
New York ranked third among Eastern Conference teams vs. the Western Conference last season, posting an 11-7-0 record including a 4-3-0 mark against Northwest Division opponents.
Place your NHL hockey bets at our online sportsbook!
