Game #80: New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes Open Thread

The Rangers' faint playoff hopes remain alive.....for now.

Thursday's 9-2 drubbing of the New York Islanders combined with Montreal's 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Ottawa Senators means that with three games remaining, the Rangers are still in playoff contention. The situation remains as dire as it was on Thursday: Any loss by the Rangers will eliminate them from playoff consideration while any point gained by the Canadiens would also be enough to end New York's hopes.

Montreal will take the ice in Toronto later tonight, and it'll be up to Peter Laviolette's squad to make sure that game still matters as far as they're concerned. The Carolina Hurricanes are already locked into the second seed in the Metropolitan Division and will host the New Jersey Devils in the opening round of the playoffs. Not that a team having nothing to play for means they'll roll over for the Rangers, but it provides a glimmer hope that one team has more at stake in this Saturday matinee clash.

Player to Watch: Juuso Parssinen

Parssinen re-entered the Blueshirts' lineup for Thursday's game against the Islanders for the first time since March 25th. A move that was much-begroaned by the residents of Rangerstown prove to be fruitful as Parssinen notched a goal and two assists in his return to game action. Keep an eye on Parssinen today as he looks to help the Blueshirts stave off elimination once again, even if only for a few more hours.

Enjoy the game!