Colorado @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 4, 2019 ) NY Rangers 1, Colorado 6

Henrik Lundqvist sports an image of the Statue of Liberty on his goaltender's helmet, fitting because there could be a passing of the torch when the New York Rangers host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Igor Shesterkin, considered by many to be the heir apparent to Lundqvist, will make his NHL debut after posting a 1.93 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in 23 games with AHL Hartford.

"I just think it's a natural progression when you have a guy playing as well as he was in the American Hockey League, you call him up and you give him an opportunity," New York coach David Quinn told reporters about the 24-year-old Shesterkin, the 118th overall pick in the 2014 draft. "Because of his position it's probably taken longer than it should have." The Rangers need a spark as they have lost three straight games and sit second-last in the Metropolitan Division, well out of playoff position. Colorado is 1-1-0 on its three-game road trip through Newark, N.J. and New York City after the league's top scoring team lost 1-0 to the New York Islanders on Monday - only the second time it's been shut out this season. Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, the NHL's first star of the week after recording three goals and eight points in his previous three games, is third in the league with 64 points as he continues to put together a Hart Trophy-type season.

TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (25-14-4): MacKinnon (25 goals) has double the points of defenseman Cale Makar, who is second on the club and second among league rookies. MacKinnon had a game-high seven shots Monday, giving him an NHL-most 201 - one more than Alex Ovechkin. Philipp Grubauer (12-9-3, 2.87 GAA, .911 SP) is expected to play goal Tuesday after Pavel Francouz stopped 32 shots Monday and is 4-2-1, 1.64, .948 versus the Rangers.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (19-18-4): Artemi Panarin boasts team bests of 22 goals, 55 points and a plus-17 rating, but hasn't hit the scoresheet in two games - matching his longest drought of the season. Mika Zibanejad has 16 goals in 28 contests this season but has gone pointless in two games since scoring four goals in the previous three. Pavel Buchnevich has a goal and an assist over the last two games after missing the scoresheet in 14 of his previous 15 contests.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado RW Valeri Nichushkin (15 points, plus-14 rating) returned Monday after missing Saturday's 5-2 victory at New Jersey because of illness.

2. Lundqvist is 9-9-3, 3.10, .910 this season while Alexandar Georgiev, who will be scratched Tuesday, is 10-9-1, 3.17, .909.

3. MacKinnon (466 career points) is scheduled to play his 500th NHL game Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Rangers 2