Currently: - Game info: 8:00 pm EST Thu Jan 23, 2003
- TV: MSG, FSN
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (TICKER) —The Nashville Predators continue a three-game homestand against the New York Rangers on Thursday in the first meeting between the teams since a four-player trade in December.
After the Rangers learned goaltender Mike Richter would be out for the rest of the season with a concussion, they acquired Mike Dunham from the Predators on December 12 for left wing Rem Murray and defensemen Tomas Kloucek and Marek Zidlicky.
Thus far, the deal has worked well for both teams.
The Predators are 5-2-1 in their last eight games, while the Rangers are 6-3-1 in their last 10 and have won three straight on the road.
On Tuesday, Matthew Barnaby scored twice and Dunham made 31 saves as the Rangers cruised to a 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders.
Boris Mironov, Joel Bouchard, and Jamie Lundmark also scored as New York moved within two points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Dunham is 8-6-2 with the Rangers after going 2-9-1 with Nashville. He has lowered his goals-against average from 3.15 to 2.31.
The Rangers have won five of their last seven road game to improve to 9-10-3-1 away from Madison Square Garden this season.
The Predators opened their homestand with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Scott Hartnell had a goal and two assists, rookie Adam Hall had a goal and an assist, and David Legwand added the decisive goal as Nashville played without leading scorer Andreas Johansson, who sat out with the flu.
The Predators also played without defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who has a blood clot in his calf muscle. Johansson is questionable for Thursday and Timonen likely will not play.
Nashville and New York skated to a 2-2 tie at Madison Square Garden on October 19.
Blueshirt Banter
On the Forecheck
