Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers open thread

The Rangers are back home after a three-game road trip that ended with a much-needed win in Dallas on Friday, but the boys in blue will look a little different than they did the last time they took the ice at Madison Square Garden. Kaapo Kakko played one game on the road trip, was scratched for the second and traded to Seattle when the third game was played, with Will Borgen arriving in his place.

Peter Laviolette’s team is back above .500 at the moment, but they will be hard pressed to maintain that distinction when the Carolina Hurricanes come to town tonight. The Hurricanes hold a 1-0 edge in the season series after beating the Rangers the night before Thanksgiving in Raleigh, so the Blueshirts will look to even things up in that department and string together back-to-back wins for the first time in over a month.

Player to watch: Will Borgen

Arriving from Seattle (along with a couple of draft picks) in return for Kakko, Borgen made his team debut on Friday. It was a solid showing for Borgen as he skated 17:17 ice time, finishing with a +1 rating and earning the Broadway Hat for his efforts. Watch for the newest Ranger tonight as Borgen makes his home debut for the Blueshirts in this heated rivalry game.

Enjoy the game!