New York @ Vancouver preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 20, 2019 ) Vancouver 3, NY Rangers 2

The New York Rangers look to finish off their four-game road trip on a winning note Saturday when they face a red-hot Vancouver Canucks squad which is aiming for a seventh consecutive victory. The Rangers have recent experience ending win streaks as they snapped Toronto’s six-game run to open their road trip, but have since surrendered 11 goals during a pair of losses to Edmonton and Calgary.

The Rangers allowed the Oilers to build a 6-0 lead on New Year’s Eve in what was ultimately a 7-5 setback, while on Thursday they gave up two breakaway goals to the Flames within the first eight minutes of the game and finished on the losing end of a 4-3 decision. “We’ve been giving teams too much, too easy,” Rangers center Mika Zibanejad told the media Thursday after being held pointless for just the second time in his last 10 games. “We make it so hard on ourselves to really give ourselves a chance to win. It’s just not good enough.” Vancouver’s sixth straight win was in doubt on Thursday against Chicago as the Canucks found themselves down by two midway through the second frame before they stormed back to earn a 7-5 victory. “We feel confident,” second-year center Elias Pettersson told reporters after recording a goal and two assists against the Blackhawks. “That’s easy to say after six games in a row with a win but we feel confident out there. We stay humble. We can’t have shifts like we had in the second period. It went our way this game.”

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: MSG, CBC, CITY, Sportsnet, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet 360

ABOUT THE RANGERS (19-17-4): One of the two breakaway goals New York allowed in the first period Thursday was during their own 5-on-3 power play - the first time this season a team has scored while being down two men. “It shouldn’t happen. It’s simple,” Zibanejad told reporters. “I don’t have any words for it. It’s unacceptable. It just cannot happen.” Rookie Kaapo Kakko ended a 19-game goal drought on Thursday as the Finnish forward registered his 16th point of the season - tying him for the most by an 18-year-old in Rangers history (Manny Malholtra in 1998-99).

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (22-15-4): Pettersson leads the team with 19 goals and 44 points while linemate J.T. Miller, after registering a goal and three assists on Thursday, sits second in both categories with 15 goals and 40 points. Left wing Tanner Pearson had a goal along with a pair of helpers on Thursday for his second straight three-point contest and he has recorded 18 points over his last 16 games. Defenseman Quinn Hughes scored for the second time in four games since he ended his 22-game goal drought as the 20-year-old leads all NHL rookies with 25 assists and 16 power-play points.

OVERTIME

1. Rangers LW Artemi Panarin tallied 10 points in his previous three contests before being held scoreless against the Flames while New York dropped to 0-6-0 when both Panarin and Zibanejad are held without a point.

2. Rangers D Jacob Trouba registered his 200th NHL point with a first-period goal on Thursday and the 25-year-old has totaled 48 goals and 152 assists in 448 career games.

3. Pearson recorded his 200th career point against Chicago - in his 429th game - while his next goal will be the 100th of his seven-year NHL career.

PREDICTION: Canucks 5, Rangers 4