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NHL on NBCSN: Bruins, Rangers look to win season series

Bruins vs Rangers

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 23: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers protects the net against Milan Lucic #17 of the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden on January 23, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images)

NBCSN’s ongoing coverage of the 2013 campaign will continue tonight when the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers at the TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET.

We’re only a quarter of the way through the shortened season, but the Rangers and Bruins are already gearing up for the third and final contest of their 2013 series.

They started the season together with Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and Boston’s defense doing a superb job of marginalizing the Rangers’ new top-heavy offense en route to a 3-1 win for Boston. However, when they met again on Jan. 23, Rangers forward Marian Gaborik had a hat trick to help his team earn a 4-3 overtime victory.

Through 10 games, the Rangers are just one of two teams to best the Boston Bruins, but things haven’t gone nearly as well in New York. The Rangers struggled early this season and have a troubling 2-4-0 record against their Atlantic Division counterparts.

The Rangers have found success recently, but they’ve done it by beating the slumping Tampa Bay Lightning twice and the 14th place New York Islanders’ once. If the Rangers want to prove that they’ve moved past their initial slump, they’ll have to start winning big games like tonight’s.

Meanwhile, the only pressure the Boston Bruins feel comes from the desire to keep a good thing going. They have an 8-1-1 record and are on a three-game winning streak. Rask rose to the status of starting goaltender after two-time Vezina Trophy-winner Tim Thomas decided to take a year off and so far he’s given Bruins’ fans no reason to regret Thomas’ departure.

Still, the Rangers are one of the few teams to solve Rask recently, so he’ll be looking for revenge at the same time that the Rangers are seeking momentum.

Probable goaltenders: BOS - Rask (6-1-1, 1.96 GAA, .922 SV%) | NYR - Henrik Lundqvist (5-5-0, 2.44 GAA, .911 SV%)

Top scorers: BOS - David Krejci (3-7-10, 10 GP) | NYR - Gaborik, Rick Nash, and Brad Richards are tied with nine points in 11 games.

Notable Injuries:
Boston - Forwards: Marc Savard (concussion)
New York - Defensemen: Michael Sauer (concussion)