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Upcoming Week Is The “Tests Of All Tests” For The Brand-New Blueshirts

The New York Rangers are set to play five games in the next seven days, a perfect time to see what the brand-new Blueshirts are made of. It kicks off Monday in another edition of the “Hudson River Rivalry” as the Rangers host the New Jersey Devils. Tuesday is the back end of another back-to-back when New York heads to Raleigh to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes. It is no time to let up with upcoming games against the Lightning, Penguins, and Islanders. In the next week, we will all get a full understanding of where New York will finish in the Metropolitan Division.

What a time for the new guys to get known with the Rangers lifestyle. Alexander Wennberg and Jack Roslovic are now in the thick of it. With a chance to establish more of a lead over Carolina, it is make or break time. The team needs to keep their momentum going after their 4-0 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. The Blueshirts are dealing with the Eastern Conference. Possibly, they are facing teams that they might meet come April. It’s time for Peter Laviolette to show what his team is truly made of.

Brand-New Blueshirts Provide A Solid First Impression

Despite having just one game under their belts, the “new guys on the block” showed bright spots in their game. Sure, New York might not have landed the big fish. Having said that, they were able to fill needs without giving up the entire farm. These were simply low-risk, high-reward moves for GM Chris Drury.

Having Roslovic fill the top-line right-wing spot might not have been on everyone’s bingo card. However, he brings a certain speed that not many current Rangers have in their respective arsenals. Now, Mika Zibanejad has the chance to perform an easier breakout play with Roslovic and Chris Kreider on both wings. Sure, the six goals in 41 games played might be unattractive to the eye, but do not let that fool you. New York and Columbus are two completely different markets and franchises. The former Miami Redhawk now has a chance to prove his potential within the bright lights of the Big Apple.

On the other hand, Wennberg brings swagger to his game. It might be the all-white stick and the tinted visor, but he is a breath of fresh air to the third-line centre role. After losing Filip Chytil to injury, this was the first target that New York needed to focus on during the Trade Deadline. Again, like Roslovic, Wennberg does not have a lot of points to his name. Having only scored 26 points in 61 games played, the Swede brings more of a defensive nature to his game. If he played soccer, Wennberg would be known as a box-to-box midfielder. Henceforth, Wennberg emphasizes his two-way game on a team that, believe it or not, is loaded with skill.

Monday’s Preview vs New Jersey

Even with goaltending issues, the New Jersey Devils are still, in fact, the New Jersey Devils. Monday night is rivalry night when these two hit the ice at 7 p.m. EST from Madison Square Garden.

The Devils are 1-4-0 in their last five games. During those five tilts, New Jersey has conceded 19 goals against. After trading away Vitek Vanecek, New Jersey will look to newly acquired Jake Allen to fill that void for the remainder of the season. Although they are not mathematically eliminated, the Devils will look to big guns Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier to flip the script on their recent form of play. Forget the likes of “Hells Bells”, New Jersey should start playing “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll).”

New York will look to throw the kitchen sink at whoever is in net for New Jersey. Scoring three of their four goals on the man advantage on Saturday, the Rangers will look to improve at even-strength. It is a perfect time for Jack Roslovic to find his name on the scoresheet. Also, signs are pointing to Jonathan Quick getting the start for New York.

Tuesday’s Preview at Carolina

North Carolina is the home of country singer Eric Church. It is only fitting that the Carolina Hurricanes are “Creepin'” up on the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division standings. After landing both Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov, it is safe to say that the Hurricanes exemplified their all-in mentality.

This one has the potential to be a slugfest, maybe even a “Game of The Year” contender if New York can earn a point on the road. The Blueshirts and their fans will be in force over the next week, especially in Raleigh. For the amount of red in the stands, the blue will be NOTICEABLE. Igor Shesterkin will likely take to his crease in Carolina. In his last 10 starts, Shesterkin is 8-1-1 and will try to just continue being the goaltender he was promised to be.

Main Photo: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Striano

Jeremy Striano

Jeremy is a lifelong sports fanatic and loves the game of hockey, specifically the New York Rangers. He is a graduate of both The Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) and Syracuse University. Along with hockey, Jeremy enjoys Broadway musicals and trying different beers!

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