Game #47: Ottawa Senators vs New York Rangers Open Thread

After playing four of the last five games on the road, the Rangers are set to wrap up January with a four game home stand that kicks off tonight. A successful weekend that saw Peter Laviolette's squad jump earn three points and jump three teams in the wild card race has given way to another pivotal matchup for playoffs positioning.

The Ottawa Senators, the current owners of the top wild card spot, are the first team coming into Madison Square Garden on this home stand. Ottawa is seeking to end the third-longest active playoff drought in the NHL, a streak dating back to the spring of 2017 when Ottawa knocked off the Rangers in the second round en route to the Eastern Conference Final. A win tonight would not see the Blueshirts anybody ahead of them in the standings, but with four points between New York and a playoff spot, every win is a critical one.

Player to Watch: Filip Chytil

As rumors have swirled regarding the Rangers potentially trading for Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller, multiple different trade packages have been floated by the various NHL insiders reporting on the matter. Most recently, a package centered around Chytil was reported to be close to completion, but fell apart in the latter stages of the trade discussions. Whether the Rangers and Canucks revisit those discussions remains to be seen, so keep an eye on Chytil tonight.

Enjoy the game!