Preview: Blackhawks at Rangers

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[December 13, 2016]  The New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks are each receiving superb play from their backup goaltenders over the past three games. New York's Antti Raanta, who was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week, bested Chicago's Scott Darling in a 1-0 overtime victory on Friday night - a loss the Blackhawks look to avenge when they visit the Rangers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Unlike Raanta, Darling was forced into the lineup after No. 1 netminder Corey Crawford underwent an appendectomy. Darling is 2-2-1 during a string of five straight starts -- Chicago has scored twice in the three losses -- and has surrendered two goals while winning two of his last three outings. Raanta, on the other hand, has kept New York starter Henrik Lundqvist planted on the bench, allowing one goal during the team's three-game winning streak and posting back-to-back shutouts against the Blackhawks and New Jersey. “I love Hank (Lunqvist), but I love the team more,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Sunday in explaining his decision to start Raanta again. “Antti is on top of his game.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TVA, Sportsnet, CSN Chicago, MSG2 (New York)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (18-8-4): Chicago is missing its own marquee players -- captain Jonathan Toews (back) has been out for the past nine games and defenseman Brent Seabrook (upper body) has missed the past two contests, matching his absences from the previous four seasons combined. While Seabrook plans to play on the upcoming road trip, Toews' status remains unclear. “It’s a balance between pushing as much as you can but also knowing that mentally you need to either pull back ... (so) you’re not adding more stress to whatever your injury might be.”

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ABOUT THE RANGERS (20-9-1): A goaltending controversy in New York -- Lundqvist is nicknamed "The King" -- borders on blasphemy, but if Raanta gets the nod Tuesday, it would mark the longest stretch as a healthy scratch for Lundqvist since he was elevated to No. 1 in 2006-07. “Do I know who I’m going to start next game? Yes I do,” Vigneault said after Sunday's victory. “But I haven’t told them.” Despite the absence of injured forwards Rick Nash, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich, Sunday's 5-0 win matched the Rangers' highest output since Nov. 21.

OVERTIME

1. Raanta, who played two seasons for Chicago (2013-15), is 8-1-0 with a 1.65 goals-against average this season.

2. Blackhawks F Marian Hossa has three goals in the last three games, pushing his season total to 15 -- two more than 2015-16.

3. Rangers F J.T. Miller has a team-high 22 points, but has zero goals in six games against Chicago.

PREDICTION: Rangers 2, Blackhawks 1

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