Game #49: New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators Open Thread

The unofficial first half the 2023-24 campaign is set to come to an end for the Rangers tonight. Peter Laviolette’s squad has crossed the border into Canada for a road matchup against the Ottawa Senators, and tonight’s contest will be the final one until after the festivities of All-Star weekend. The break couldn’t come at a better time, as the Blueshirts have posted an ugly 4-7-2 record in the month of January and are in desperate need of a reset to gear up for a late season surge.

With Igor Shesterkin starting yesterday, it’ll be up to Jonathan Quick to lead the Rangers past the Senators in a game the Blueshirts could use for a shot of positive morale heading into the break. While it appeared Filip Chytil had a chance to return to the team following the All-Star break, the young center suffered a setback during an optional skate yesterday morning, and will remain out of the picture for now. A win today would get the Rangers back up to the .500 mark over their previous 24 games, while a regulation defeat could result in them falling out of first place in the Metropolitan Division pending the results of Carolina’s game. Suffice to say, a win would do the Rangers a lot of good.

Player to Watch: Vincent Trocheck

Voted into the All-Star game after Shesterkin was chosen as the team’s initial representative, Trocheck will be heading to Toronto to make the second All-Star appearance of his career. Trocheck has been one of New York’s top players throughout the season, and now with Chytil not expected back in the lineup anytime soon, he’ll need to keep up the level of play that has made him an All-Star. Keep en eye on Trocheck as the Blueshirts look to head into the break on a high note.

Enjoy the game!