On Friday evening, the New York Rangers showcased their new alternate jerseys and bounced back from a recent defeat by convincingly defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 at Madison Square Garden. The victory briefly propelled the Rangers (20-7-1) to the top of the Eastern Conference. However, their hold on the lead was short-lived, as the Boston Bruins, located about 20 miles east of New York City, later secured a shootout win against the New York Islanders, regaining the top spot with a single-point advantage at 42-41.
Notably, these two teams are slated to face off again on Saturday night at TD Garden in Boston, once again competing for the coveted first-place position. In a recap of their initial encounter on November 25, 2023, the Rangers exposed several weaknesses in the Bruins’ game, securing a 7-4 victory.
Following their early-season successes, both teams have had mixed performances since their last meeting. New York has posted a record of 5-4-0, with a goal differential of minus-6 (28-34) and nine power-play goals scored, along with five goals conceded on the man advantage. In contrast, the Bruins have fared better with a record of 5-2-1, boasting a positive goal differential of two (23-21).
Having completed a mini three-game homestand with a 2-1-0 record, the Rangers now embark on their fourth away game this month. Despite a setback against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7-4) on Tuesday night, the team holds a 4-3-0 record in December. Impressively, their home and away records are nearly identical at 10-3-0 and 10-4-1, respectively. Over their last ten games, New York has maintained a 6-4-0 record.
