NHL Preview: Canucks Invade New York, Face Rangers

Vancouver Canucks at New York Rangers

While they don’t get to meet often, games between the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers always have a little extra feel to them — if you’re wondering why, dial the way-back machine to 1994.

That was the year the Mark Messier-led Rangers defeated the Canucks in seven games to win the Stanley Cup. The two franchises have never really gotten along ever since but, because of the Western and Eastern Conference schedule breakups, haven’t had many opportunities to play one another.

But that all changes tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Canucks — who have been red hot since December 5th and haven’t lost in regulation in 18 games — will take on a Rangers team that has been surprisingly solid this year. Currently sitting in sixth in the East with a 25-16-3 record, the Blueshirts are in solid position to make a return to the postseason after missing out a year ago.

A big reason for New York’s success this year? The maturation of players the organization drafted and groomed. Several of the leading scorers — Brandon Dubinsky, Derek Stepan, Ryan Callahan — are Rangers products through and through. That’s a big change from the past operations of the club. The Rangers were synonymous with the high-priced, big-ticket free agents of years past and would freely spend obscene amounts of money to get the players they thought would work in the system. Now, they’re a team filled with players taught to play that system instead.

But those youngsters will need to be at their best as they take on a Canucks team that has taken the league by storm this season. At 28-8-6, the Canucks are tops in the NHL and recently had three forwards named to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler. The game will be old hat for Henrik, the reigning Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner that was an all-star back in 2008, but it’s new ground for his brother and Kesler. Daniel — who is on pace for 50 goals this year and already has 25G-30A-55PTS in 42 games — has been outstanding this year and shown no ill-effects from the foot injury that sidelined him for a good chunk of last season. Kesler has been the breakout player of the NHL season, a dynamic two-way forward that is scoring goals at an unprecedented pace (he’s on pace for 48 this year, which would be a career-high).

Canucks Notes:

— D Sami Salo (surgery, torn Achilles tendon) has resumed practicing and traveling with the team after needing surgery in the off-season.

Rangers Notes:

— LW Wojtek Wolski, who was acquired Monday from Phoenix for defenseman Michal Rozsival, had one shot on goal in more than 19 minutes of ice-time in his Rangers debut in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night against Montreal. Wolski, 24, played left wing on a line with Artem Anisimov and Marian Gaborik.