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Bruins vs. Rangers 2/26/21 PREVIEW: Let us never speak of Thursday again.

Let’s have some fun in New York! (For once)

By SkyonAir
Boston Bruins v New York Rangers Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images

Just the Facts:

The Time: 7pm EST

The Place: MSG Arena, Manhatten, New York City, New York

Place to Watch: NESN, SportsNet, NHLN, TVAS

Place to Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Know Your Enemy:

  • Your leading goalscorer for the Rangers is Chris Kreider with 8 goals in 17 games, and their leading point-getter is Artemi Panarin, with 18 points in 14 games played.
  • Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere are somewhat quiet right now. Kakko only has 3 points in 14 games, and none in his last five, and Lafreniere only has 2 in 17, but he did score on Washington on the 20th. Kakko on the other hand, has become quite a puck mover, as he is 3rd on the team in advanced metrics among NYR forwards. May wanna keep an eye on him.
  • Igor Shesterkin is looking like the New York starter for the time being, boasting a .919 SV% in 11 starts.

Game Preview:

Oh man it sure was a long wait for Boston Bruins hockey but hey now it’s time for it to come back

Okay, so Thursday night was...bad. Just...bad. And now they have to bury all of that in order to play the Rangers, who as it turns out, are in fact just as mediocre as they come. Oh sure, they can score goals, but they cannot defend to save their own lives. Combine that with some political hit that Panarin took at some point over the course of the last week, and they’ve had to weather a very up and down february, where they’ve been 4-4-2 in their last ten, and have looked it. Lose twice to Boston and then the Devils? Beat the Flyers the next night. Take a convincing W against the Pens? Lose to the Caps the next night. It’s been quite frustrating, but at least they seem to know who they are for the time being: a team where offense and offense alone gets to shine.

Meanwhile, Boston still has some issues to work out of their own. Matt Grzelcyk isn’t coming off the day-to-day list, and if last night was any indication, urgency definitely was a major factor for some participants, and they definitely need to start strong, as they’ve suddenly gained some rather annoying stragglers in the Caps and Isle, both of whom are within a point of overtaking them. Can the Bruins get things going back on track as they finish another three game trip in the Empire state? Tune in and find out!