10/30/2010 at 12:59pm EDT
Rangers (4-4-1) vs Leafs (5-3-1)
The Leafs need to get used to the fact that every game has critical implications for their playoff hopes.
Washington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Boston have 4 seeds in the East almost locked in. Then there’s Tampa Bay, New Jersey, Montreal, Buffalo and Carolina. Ottawa, NYR, NYI and Atlanta aren’t too far behind. Let’s not kid ourselves. The only team in the East that the Leafs SHOULD be ahead of in the standings come April is Florida.
Come April, 6 to 8 points will separate seeds 7 through 11, as has been the case since the lockout. So when the Leafs take on the Rangers tonight at the Air Canada Centre, they need to remember one thing: every game they play is a 4-Point game.
Storylines
Giguere is back in net to improve on his 4-1-1 record.
Kris Versteeg cleared his MRI test. He is still undecided for tonight’s game.
Leafs secondary scoring is struggling to provide any support to Phil Kessel.
Ryan Callahan has 5-game point streak going into tonight’s game.
Historically
The Leafs have split their two games against the Rangers this season.
The Rangers are 3-1-0 on the Road this season.
Giguere has won 2 of his last 3 against the Rangers posting a 1.97 GAA.
Starting Goaltenders
J.S. Giguere (4-1-1, 0.908 SV%, 2.3 GAA)
Henrik Lundqvist (3-3-1, 0.909 SV%, 3.15 GAA)
Injury Report
Toronto
Colby Armstrong: Out 4-6 Weeks (Broken Finger)
Kris Versteeg: Undecided (Back)
New York
Marian Gaborik: IR (Shoulder)
Chris Drury: IR (Broken Finger)
Vinny Prospal: IR (Knee Surgery)
Standings
TOR: 8 GP, 5-3-1, 11 Points (2nd in Northeast, 5th in Conference)
NYR: 9 GP, 4-4-1, 9 Points (4th in Atlantic, 11th in Conference)
Home/Away Record
NYR on the Road: 3-1-0
TOR at Home: 3-1-1
Stats
Rangers Road Scoring: 3.75 (2nd)
Leafs Home GA: 1.60 (2nd)
Leafs Home Scoring: 2.60 (21st)
Rangers Road GA: 3.00 (17th)
Leafs Home PP: 15% (18th)
Rangers Road PK: 80.95% (20th)
Rangers Road PP: 20% (8th)
Leafs Home PK: 86.67% (13th)
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