3/9/11 Rangers vs. Ducks

Stayin' up late tonight.

Rangers against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Rangers got the best of fortune last night when most of the teams they needed to be defeated were. Now, they have a chance to really pull away from the pack. Coming off a 7-0 bludgeoning of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Rangers are looking prime for the playoffs, which the WILL make. Ryan Callahan had four goals in that game, and Mats Zuccarello had two. The Rangers have become aware of the urgency of their playoff situation and turned on the jets when needed most last game. Not to mention, it seems the cohesiveness that made this team so dangerous before half the lineup went down due to injuries has returned. Nearly everyone in the lineup is looking healthy and working as hard as they can.

The Ducks are dead even with the Rangers in most categories. However, they have had some goaltending issues as of late. In order to solve those problems, the Ducks have called up Ray Emery from the AHL, who will more than likely be in-between the pipes tonight. Along with that, they have had some good scorers come from everywhere on the ice. Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, and Teemu Selanne have all eclipsed 20 goals so far this season.

My Diagnosis


The Rangers are going to have to play very tightly on defense. With veteran Bryan McCabe now in the lineup, that shouldn't be such a daunting task to this young defensive core. Along with that, the Rangers are going to need scoring from Marian Gaborik tonight in order to come out on top. The Ducks have a lot of firepower, so the only option for the Rangers is to fight fire with a lot more fire.

My Predictions


Rangers win 3-1

Ryan Getzlaf will get the opening goal for the Ducks early in the 1st period.
Derek Stepan will tie the game up late in the 1st.
Marian Gaborik will pick up a goal as well coming in the 2nd period.
And finally, Bryan McCabe will get his first goal as a Ranger late in the 3rd.

Enjoy the game!