1/24/11 Rangers vs. Winnipeg Jets

Arguing with thermometers.

Rangers against the Winnipeg Jets.

The final game before the All-Star break comes home as the Rangers take on the new Winnipeg Jets for the third time this season. The Rangers have taken the first two of the four meeting this season, both coming off excellent performances by backup goaltender Martin Biron, who has only let in one goal against the Jets all season. Tonight though, Henrik Lundqvist will venture between the pipes with Biron sitting due to the flu. The Rangers are coming off of a huge overtime win against the Boston Bruins where the Rangers vaulted ahead of the second place team to claim the top spot in the Eastern conference standings. Marian Gaborik edged out the game-winning goal in overtime to win the game. Tonight, the Rangers look to leave a good impression at the half-way mark of the season before their long break. The key to the Rangers having success against the Jets this season has been their defense. They have not given the Jets any opportunity to get anything going in the past two games, and that is why Biron has been able to hold them to one goal. A new hit on the injury front is the Ryan McDonagh, who received a board from Andrew Ference in the late part of overtime against the Bruins, is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. That leaves him, Michael Sauer, Jeff Woywitka, and Steve Eminger all out for the Rangers on defense.



Despite the Rangers injury woes, the Jets have their own worries. Notable players on the Jets lineup like Evander Kane and Dustin Byfuglien have been out with injuries for the past few games, and will most likely not make a return tonight. That is a huge blow for the Jets, as those two are some of the biggest key players on the Jets lineup.

The Diagnosis


Despite losing McDonagh possibly tonight, I think the Rangers will still have a good chance of winning this game. Putting Henrik Lundqvist is never a bad decision, as he is very capable of handling situations if the defense breaks down. Aside from that, I think the Rangers can overpower the Jets on offense, and this will be a game that the Rangers going into the All-Star break on a high note.

The Prediction


Rangers win 3-1

Michael Del Zotto will get the initial Rangers goal coming in the 2nd.
Bryan Little will get the lone Jets goal coming in the 2nd.
Marian Gaborik will get the game-winner for the Rangers coming in the 3rd.
And Artem Anisimov will ice the game with an empty netter.

Enjoy the game!