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Preview: Rangers at Blackhawks
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[January 08, 2014]
The Chicago Blackhawks have a roster
dotted with Olympians, one reason why the team will carry a season-high
10-game point streak into Wednesday's home matchup against the New York
Rangers. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and defenseman
Duncan Keith were selected to represent Team Canada on Tuesday, pushing
the number of Olympians to 10 for Chicago. The Blackhawks have lost two
of their last three contests but haven't tasted defeat in regulation
since Dec. 14 in Toronto.
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 New York will have seven players competing in Sochi, with forward
Rich Nash the lone selection for Team Canada. The Rangers continue
to struggle with consistency, following up a thorough 7-1 triumph at
Toronto on Saturday in the finale of a five-game road trip with a
4-3 shootout loss to visiting Columbus two days later. Goaltender
Henrik Lundqvist, who is having the worst season of his stellar
career, was named to Sweden's Olympic team along with forward Carl
Hagelin.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE RANGERS (21-20-3): Nash, coming off his first two-goal
performance of the season (both on the power play) on Monday against
the team that traded him to New York, called it a "pretty cool
accomplishment" to be appearing in his third Olympic Games. Still,
Nash said the immediate priority is to rectify things with the
Rangers, pointing to the need to curb repeated mistakes and get off
to better starts. "(We're) playing against the defending Stanley Cup
champions, so it's going be a tough game and a good measuring stick
of where we are as a club," Nash said.
[to top of second column] |
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (29-7-9): Goaltender Corey Crawford has
lost both starts since returning from a 10-game injury absence
and has not won since Nov. 29, but he made a season-high 40
saves in Sunday's 3-2 shootout defeat to San Jose. Crawford said
it was disappointing not to be selected to Team Canada, noting
"it was definitively a goal of mine." Rookie Antti Raanta showed
he could carry the load in Crawford's absence, which bodes well
for Chicago since backup goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin underwent
surgery on his rotator cuff and is expected to miss four to five
months.
OVERTIME
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Sharp has scored nine goals, including a pair of hat tricks,
in seven games.
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Nash has 24 goals and 51 points in 55 career contests against
Chicago.
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Toews has three goals and 16 assists in his last 14 games.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Rangers 2
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