Rangers look to set franchise record with win on Monday night
Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette looks on in the first period of an NHL game against the Predators at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 19. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Following their overtime win over the Canucks in Vancouver Saturday night, the Rangers entered Monday’s game against the Jets at Canada Life Centre seeking to sweep a five-game road trip for the first time in franchise history.
According to the team’s media relations department, there have been three previous times where the team played a road trip of at least five games and did so without a regulation loss (1972-73, 1991-92, and 2014-15). But they have never won every game on a trip of five games or more.
They have, though, won five consecutive road games 18 times before, most recently last season, when they won five straight away games over the period from Nov. 30 to Dec. 18.
Laviolette gives Jets' Arniel a thumbs up
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette was asked at the morning skate about Jets associate coach Scott Arniel, who is running the Winnipeg bench for now, while head coach Rick Bowness is on a leave of absence to deal with a serious illness to his wife. Laviolette worked with Arniel in Washington, where Arniel was one of his assistants.
“It was really good to work with Scott,’’ Laviolette said. “It just goes to show that no matter how long you've been in the game, you can constantly learn from people. And I worked with a really good staff in Washington… I leave Washington knowing that I'm a better coach because I got to spend time with him.’’
Laviolette said he sent Arniel a supportive message Sunday.
“They're in good hands while [Bowness is] away, with Scott at the bench,’’ Laviolette said.
Blue notes
The game was the third in a stretch of four games where the Rangers will be in a different time zone. They were in the Mountain Time Zone Thursday in Edmonton, the Pacific Time Zone Saturday in Vancouver, the Central Time Zone Monday in Winnipeg, and the Eastern Time Zone when they return home Thursday against Carolina. It’s the ninth time in franchise history they’ll play in four different time zones in consecutive games. They last did it in 2018-19… Artemi Panarin turned 32 on Monday… Igor Shesterkin was slated to start in goal for the second consecutive game and the seventh time in nine games this season. The Rangers were expected to dress the same lineup for the sixth consecutive game, with D Zac Jones and RW Tyler Pitlick the scratches.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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