Viewers guide to Rangers-Bruins on ABC, ESPN+

The ABC Saturday afternoon hockey schedule continues this week with an Jap Convention playoff contender conflict, because the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers, with protection starting at 3 p.m. ET and simulcast on ESPN+.

To assist get you prepared for the sport, we have put collectively a information on all the important thing gamers to look at for every staff, together with in-depth statistical insights from ESPN Stats & Data, and extra.

This season, ESPN+ will broadcast 75 unique regular-season video games, with ABC and ESPN airing a mixed 28 unique regular-season video games for a complete of 103 video games. The entire broadcast schedule might be discovered right here.

Subscribe to ESPN+ | Stream the NHL on ESPN

New York Rangers at Boston Bruins

3 p.m. ET | Watch dwell on ESPN+
Line: Boston -130 | Over/beneath: 5.5

Rangers
ESPN Energy Rankings: 8
Main scorer: Artemi Panarin, 96 factors in 73 video games
2021-22 report: 51-21-6 (108 factors), second in Metro Division

• The Rangers presently have 108 factors in 78 video games this season. They’re presently on tempo for 113 factors this season; in the event that they have been to do this, it might tie probably the most factors in a season in franchise historical past. That is the fifth time in franchise historical past that the Rangers have received 50 or extra video games, and their 51 wins this season is tied for the third most of their historical past. Their 51 wins are additionally tied for the third most within the NHL getting into Friday.

• When taking part in on the highway, the Rangers have a number of gamers who put up the factors wanted to get the job finished. Ahead Chris Kreider ranks fifth within the NHL this season in targets scored on the highway with 24 (Alex Ovechkin and Kyle Connor have 26, Auston Matthews 28, and Leon Draisaitl 32). His teammate Panarin ranks second within the NHL this season in assists on the highway, with 38 (solely Roman Josi has extra at 39), and his different teammate, Adam Fox, ranks third in assists on the highway, with 35.

• Talking of Panarin, he continues to excel this season along with his 22 targets and 74 assists for 96 factors, inching nearer to his first ever 100-point season in his profession. He notched his nineteenth multi-assist sport of the season on Tuesday, and earned his twentieth on Thursday, establishing the franchise report for probably the most in a single season and he prolonged his team-leading twenty eighth multi-point sport of the marketing campaign. Panarin’s 74 assists this season are six shy of tying Brian Leetch (80) for probably the most assists in a single season in Rangers historical past. He grew to become the fifth completely different participant to report 70 or extra assists in a season with the Rangers and the primary since Wayne Gretzky (72 in 1996-97).

• Kreider continues to have a breakout marketing campaign with a career-high 51 targets, together with 23 assists for 74 factors this season. Kreider is the fourth participant in Rangers historical past to attain 50 targets in a single season, becoming a member of Jaromir Jagr (54: 2005-06), Adam Graves (52: 1993-94) and Vic Hadfield (50: 1971-72). On Thursday, he scored his twenty sixth power-play purpose of the season. Solely two gamers since 1993-94 have scored as many in a marketing campaign: Ilya Kovalchuk (27 in 2005-06 w/ Atlanta) and Mario Lemieux (31 in 1995-96 w/ Pittsburgh).

• Two gamers the Rangers acquired in the course of the commerce season have been Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano. On Thursday, Copp recorded his second profession hat trick and have become the third Rangers participant to attain a first-period hat trick. The others: Kelly Kisio (Dec. 26, 1986) and Don Raleigh (Feb. 25, 1948). His hat trick was the NHL’s thirteenth pure hat trick in 2021-22, and joined Mika Zibanejad (March 17, 2021) as the one Rangers gamers prior to now 40 years to attain a pure hat trick in a single interval.

• Vatrano has totaled seven targets and 4 assists for 11 factors in 18 video games with the Rangers. Since his New York debut on March 17 in opposition to the Islanders, Vatrano’s seven targets rank third on the staff (Kreider: 11, Copp: 8) and his seven even-strength targets are tied for many on the staff (with Copp).

• Goaltender Igor Shesterkin has 36 wins on the season, tied with two different goalies (Darcy Kuemper and Andrei Vasilevskiy) for the fourth most within the NHL; solely Jacob Markstrom, with 37, and Juuse Saros and Sergei Bobrovsky, with 38, have extra. Shesterkin is tied for the seventh most wins by a Rangers goaltender in a single season. He ranks first within the league in goals-against common (2.01) and save share (.936). Shesterkin is 4-1-0 in his final 5 begins, with a .969 save share and 0.81 goals-against common.

Bruins
ESPN Energy Rankings: 9
Main scorer: Brad Marchand, 73 factors in 66 video games
2021-22 report: 47-25-5 (99 factors), fourth in Atlantic Division

• On April 16, the Bruins secured their spot within the Stanley Cup playoffs with a victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. In response to Cash Puck, the Bruins have a 63.6% likelihood to complete within the first wild-card spot. This is able to imply that the Bruins would face off in opposition to both the Carolina Hurricanes or the Rangers within the first spherical.

• It is the thirteenth time they’ve reached the playoffs in 15 years and seventy fifth time in franchise historical past (second all-time behind Montreal, 85). After shedding to the St. Louis Blues in seven video games within the 2019 Stanley Cup Remaining, the Bruins have been eradicated within the second spherical every of the previous two seasons.

• If the Bruins get to 100 factors, they’ll have reached the milestone 4 occasions within the final 5 seasons. Nonetheless, the Bruins have dropped factors in 4 of their final six video games (2-4-0). Throughout that span they’ve scored simply 1.83 targets per sport, and have given up a median of three.00 targets per sport. Of their final 10 video games, the Bruins have scored just one power-play purpose on 30 alternatives, working at simply 3.3%. The final time they Bruins scored a power-play purpose was on April 2 in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

• Whereas the offense has been struggling as of late for the Bruins, they all the time have an opportunity if the sport is shut. This season the Bruins have 24 wins when taking part in in one-goal video games; these 24 wins are the second most within the NHL, behind the Dallas Stars, who’ve 26. Boston has scored 76 targets within the first interval this season, the seventh most amongst all NHL groups. The Bruins have been shut out simply 4 occasions this season.

• One standout purpose for the Bruins’ present offensive struggles is the lack of ahead David Pastrnak. He’s presently out for the Bruins with an undisclosed harm, and hasn’t performed since April 4 in opposition to the Blue Jackets. Pastrnak is presently second in factors amongst Bruins gamers with 71, and first in targets with 38. He additionally leads the staff in power-play targets this season (14), and is second in power-play factors (24), simply two shy of Brad Marchand, who leads the staff with 26.

• The Bruins will look to Marchand to get the offense again on monitor of their time with out Pastrnak. Nonetheless, Marchand has not been as much as his ordinary goal-scoring skill as he has not recorded a purpose in his final 9 video games, and has simply two factors in that span. Linemate Patrice Bergeron can also be struggling to provide, as he has simply two targets in these 9 video games, and a complete of 4 factors.

• Since April 1, the Bruins have been averaging simply 2.40 targets per sport, which is tied with the Blackhawks for the third worst within the NHL; solely the San Jose Sharks (2.20) and Arizona Coyotes (1.60) are worse. Their 3.3% power-play share occurs to be the third worst within the NHL since then as effectively; solely two groups have worst energy performs throughout that span (Philadelphia Flyers: 3.2%, New Jersey Devils: 0%). Their 24 complete targets scored in the course of the span are tied for the fourth lowest complete within the NHL; the groups who’ve scored much less are all eradicated from playoff rivalry.