New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers open thread

With the turmoil of their five-game losing streak in the rearview mirror, the Rangers will look to win consecutive games tonight in the latest edition of the Hudson River Rivalry. Tonight’s contest will be the first meeting since the Rangers and Devils’ opening brawl, which saw a total of 166 penalty minutes.

While this contest featured a Devils team whose season was essentially over at this point and a Rangers team tied to the Presidents Tropy, both teams are currently fighting for a spot in the Metropolitan Division. Tonight’s game will also be the last in an under-the-radar difficult stretch of the season for the Blueshirts, as Peter Laviolette will be on the ice for the fifth time in eight days before a three-day break begins on Tuesday.

Player to Watch: Filip Chytil

After suffering an injury on November 14 and missing seven games, Filip Chytil returned to the lineup for New York’s Saturday matinee against Montreal. Chytil did not show a particularly eventful performance in this matter. He had a single shot on goal and shot -1 while being kept off the scoresheet. Keep an eye on the young Czech star as he looks to get back into the swing of things after his two-week absence.

Have fun with the game!