NBCSN’s coverage of the 2019-20 NHL season continues with Tuesday’s matchup between the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
The conversation through much of last year and into this season has been the future of Rangers all-time winningest goalie Henrik Lundqvist (458 wins – 5th all-time). He’s shared the net this season with 23-year-old Alexandar Georgiev and neither netminder has impressive numbers (Lundqvist 3.10 GAA, Georgiev 3.17 GAA) as they’ve faced the second-most shots in the league as a team (Rangers 34.7 shots against/game – 30th in NHL).
On Monday, the Rangers called up goalie Igor Shesterkin from the AHL, who is expected to make his NHL debut in this one, with Lundqvist backing up.
New York’s high-priced offseason acquisition, Artemi Panarin (seven-year/$81.5M), leads the team in goals (22) – Mika Zibanejad is next with 16 – assists (33), points (55), and power-play points (14) – to name a few. The Russian playmaker has recorded 74-plus points in each of his first four seasons in the NHL and is coming off a career high (87) with the Blue Jackets last season.
Nathan MacKinnon was voted an All-Star captain for the second straight season. Having another MVP caliber season (was the Hart Trophy runner-up two seasons ago), the No. 1 pick in 2013 has played in all 42 games this season and leads the Avs in most major statistical categories – goals (25 – fourth in NHL), assists (39 – tied-5th in NHL), points (64 – third in NHL), shots (194 – second in NHL), power-play goals (8), power-play points (23).
MacKinnon was voted by the fans as captain of the Central team, his fourth-straight All-Star selection and second straight year being voted captain. Last year, he did not compete at All-Star Weekend due to a bruised foot, but he did attend the festivities. Panarin is the Rangers All-Star – his first time being selected.
[COVERAGE OF BEGINS AT 6:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN]
WHAT: Colorado Avalanche at New York Rangers
WHERE: Madison Square Garden
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 7, 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
LIVE STREAM: You can watch the Avalanche-Rangers stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
AVALANCHE
Gabriel Landeskog - Nathan MacKinnon - Joonas Donskoi
Matt Calvert - Nazem Kadri - Matt Nieto
Andre Burakovsky - J.T. Compher - Mikko Rantanen
Tyson Jost - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Vladislav Kamenev
Ryan Graves - Cale Makar
Samuel Girard - Erik Johnson
Ian Cole - Nikita Zadorov
Starting goalie: Philipp Grubauer
RANGERS
Chris Kreider - Mika Zibanejad - Pavel Buchnevich
Artemi Panarin - Ryan Strome - Jesper Fast
Brett Howden - Filip Chytil - Kaapo Kakko
Steven Fogarty - Greg McKegg - Brendan Smith
Brady Skjei - Jacob Trouba
Marc Staal - Tony DeAngelo
Ryan Lindgren - Adam Fox
Starting goalie: Igor Shesterkin
Tuesday night’s coverage will be hosted by Paul Burmeister with Keith Jones and Patrick Sharp. John Forslund, Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire will call the action from Madison Square Garden.