Game #56: Dallas Stars vs New York Rangers Open Thread

With the 2024 Stadium Series in the rear view mirror, the Rangers have returned to the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden for an interconference matchup with Dallas Stars. Currently in the midst of a seven game winning streak, the Rangers find themselves squaring off against Dallas in the midst of an extended hot streak. These two teams previously met on November 20th, a game the Blueshirts entered on a four game winning streak and 11 game point streak (10-0-1) that both ended with a thud as Dallas defended home ice to the tune of a 6-3 victory.

After limping into the All-Star break, Peter Laviolette’s squad has re-established itself as one of the NHL’s most dominant teams. Tonight’s home game will be one of one before the Rangers hit the road for a three game swing against Metropolitan Division opponents, so seeing how the team handles tonight’s game will be interesting given what comes next.

Player to Watch: Barclay Goodrow

Skating between rookies Adam Edstrom (four NHL games) and Matt Rempe (one NHL game), Goodrow saw multiple minutes more’s worth of ice time on Sunday in the first game this trio of players skated together. Whether the atmosphere of the Stadium Series led coach Laviolette to stray away from his rookies and lean on veterans more remains to be seen, although the ice time distribution tonight should answer some questions on that front. Keep an eye on Goodrow as he attempts to shepherd his young buck linemates around the ice.

Enjoy the game!