With 10 games on the schedule in the NHL on Tuesday and three Canadian teams in action, there are several intriguing match-ups to choose from. Here are the top storylines we’re keeping an eye on.
Goaltending controversy in the Big Apple?
For over a decade now, the New York Rangers crease has belonged to one man and one man only, in “the King” Henrik Lundqvist.
However, due to the sudden emergence of 27-year old Antti Raanta between the pipes, who was recently named the NHL’s second star of the week, the goaltending situation in the Big Apple has never looked so murky.
Raanta has now started three straight games over Lundqvist, and he may get his fourth straight start on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden when the Rangers play the Chicago Blackhawks for the second time in five days (Raanta recorded a 26-save shutout in Chicago on Dec.9).
This season, Raanta has been able to do something even Lundqvist has yet to accomplish in a Rangers uniform — post consecutive shutouts in back-to-back games. He is the first Ranger to accomplish the feat since Mike Dunham all the way back in 2003.
Whoever starts between the pipes for New York will be staring down a Chicago offence looking to get back on track with both Brent Seabrook, who has missed the last two games, and Jonathan Toews, who has missed the last nine games, expected to return from injury.
Maple Leafs look to capitalize on their chances against the Sharks
Following a frustrating game against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, the Toronto Maple Leafs will once again be in tough on Tuesday as they look to bounce-back against the surging San Jose Sharks.
The Maple Leafs managed a season-high 52 shots, including 99 shot attempts (most in the NHL this season), on Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov two nights ago, but were unable to solve him beyond a third period goal by Jake Gardiner, coming out with a 3-1 loss to the last-place team in the NHL.
One thing working well in Toronto’s favour in this potentially lopsided match-up is that the Sharks will be significantly handicapped on the back-end, missing two of their top-six defencemen to injury in David Schlemko and all-star Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen is also expected to be back between the pipes in Toronto after taking Sunday off in lieu of rookie Antoine Bibeau.
Regardless, the Sharks come in hot having won seven of their last 10 games and should create a significant challenge for the young Leafs as they look to recreate and capitalize on some of the scoring chances from Sunday.
Fire and Ice: The hottest team in the NHL collides with one of the coldest
NHL scoring-leader Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers will host the surprising Columbus Blue Jackets in what promises to be an exciting game.
At 17-5-4, the Blue Jackets are off to their best start in franchise history and are emerging as one of the most fun teams to watch in the NHL, losing just once in regulation over their last 10 games.
Meanwhile, the Oilers, at 15-11-5, have struggled as of late, losing their big lead atop the Pacific Division and winning just one of their last five contests, narrowly beating the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday 3-2 (all due to a Patrik Laine own goal) to break a four-game losing streak.
Also expect Columbus to have a little more jump on Tuesday, as they will be well rested having just played five games over the past 14 days, while Edmonton is coming off a span of eight games in 13 days.
This is the first time these two young teams meet this season, and it’s tough to forget what happened the first time they met last season, when McDavid had a goal and two assists in his return from a broke clavicle and did this:
