The Blueshirts are set to wrap up their five game homestand tonight, and they’ll look to do it  against yet another divisional opponent. The division leading Carolina Hurricanes are in town for the front half of a home and home set with the Rangers. These teams will square off in Raleigh on Thursday night, and these two games present a similar situation to the one the 2021-22 Blueshirts faced.

After disposing of the Penguins in three late season games and burying them in the standings, last season’s Rangers had a pair of games against Carolina as well. Two wins had the potential to vault them to a division title but the Rangers dropped both games before avenging those defeats in the playoffs. Currently trailing the Hurricanes by six points, the Rangers will look to close that gap starting tonight.

Player to Watch: Vincent Trocheck

The only former Hurricane on the roster, Trocheck left Carolina for New York following the end of last season. Trocheck is in the midst of a 10 game goal scoring drought, but has still managed to find the scoresheet on multiple occasions in that time, recording ten assists since his last goal and eight helpers in the previous five games. Keep an eye on Trocheck as the Rangers square off against a potential playoff opponent.

Enjoy the game!