The New York Rangers visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET as the two clubs meet for their first clash of the regular season.
New York enters the matchup with a 6-3-1 record and looks to halt a two-game winless skid (0-1-1). Prior to that stretch, the Rangers posted wins of 6-2 against the Vancouver Canucks and 4-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning. They dropped their last two contests, falling 7-1 against the New Jersey Devils before an overtime loss of 1-0 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Toronto holds a 3-4-2 record and is winless in three straight games (0-2-1). Following a 6-3 road win against the Colorado Avalanche, the Maple Leafs suffered a 5-4 regulation loss against the Utah Mammoth, an overtime defeat of 5-4 against the Buffalo Sabres, and a 4-1 loss against the New York Islanders in their most recent outing.
Thursday marks the opening contest in the regular-season series between the two clubs. With New York looking to bounce back from an overtime shutout defeat and Toronto seeking its first victory in four games, both teams aim to reverse recent trends in this first encounter.
