NY Rangers Game 42 Open Thread: The Czar debuts

The Rangers are home against a very good and heating up Colorado Avalanche team tonight, and there are a pair of storylines in this one that go beyond the game. The first is Igor Shesterkin’s first NHL start, as we get our first look the heir apparent to Henrik Lundqvist. The second is the Avs and the Rangers have been linked in the past at the trade deadline and the draft. Chris Kreider’s name keeps coming up, but I don’t think that’s a fit anymore.

The Rangers have been getting closer to league average defensively of late, which is a good thing. Their recent string of losses, believe it or not, is due to bad goaltending, a rarity for the Blueshirts. If the goaltending comes along the way…