SENATORS (20-11-3) at RANGERS (23-12-1)
7 p.m. ET; MSG, RDS2, TSN5, NHL.TV
Senators team scope
The Ottawa Senators have won four straight games to tie their season high (Nov. 22-27), and are 10-4-2 in their past 16 games. The last time they won five straight was during a seven-game winning streak from March 12-23, 2014. Senators coach Guy Boucher elected not to conduct a morning skate, despite Ottawa having four days off. "We thought, just show up at the game, get activated," Boucher said Tuesday. "Our recipe doesn't change. We aren't doing anything than we've done different lately to have success and to give ourselves a change. We just have to get the adrenaline back up, and you don't get that at the morning skate. It's back to business. Skate or no skate, it makes no difference." Ottawa has allowed seven goals in four games and has gotten strong play from goalie Mike Condon, who will start. He has started seven of eight games, but has appeared in each of the past eight (he replaced an injured Andrew Hammond against the New York Islanders on Dec. 18 and made 22 saves in a 6-2 win). The Senators defeated the Rangers 2-0 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 27. "The last time we were here, we had a real good pack mentality that prevented them from getting the space that gives them all that speed," Boucher said. "If we do that, at least we give ourselves a chance."
Rangers team scope
Goaltender Antti Raanta will start for the New York Rangers with Henrik Lundqvist out because of the flu. Raanta said he found out Monday that Lundqvist was sick and he likely would start. Raanta allowed two goals on seven shots in relief of Lundqvist in a 7-4 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Friday, and allowed seven goals on 47 shots in his previous start, a 7-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 20. "It's going to be a good challenge for us to come back after the break," Raanta said after the morning skate. "Our main thing is to get our game going again and to get two points and get the win." Prior to losing the past two games, allowing seven goals in each, New York had won three straight in which they allowed a total of three goals. The loss Friday was their first in regulation this season following a loss (10-1-1). "I think the break came at a great time, more for just a mental and physical break," defenseman Nick Holden said. "We had played a lot of games in a lot of nights. Our last two games, we obviously didn't play the way we wanted to play." Defenseman Kevin Klein will play in his 600th NHL game.
Senators projected lineup
Zack Smith -- Derick Brassard -- Mark Stone
Ryan Dzingel -- Kyle Turris -- Bobby Ryan
Mike Hoffman -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Tom Pyatt
Curtis Lazar -- Chris Kelly -- Chris Neil
Mark Borowiecki -- Chris Wideman
Mike Condon
Matt O'Connor
Scratched: Fredrik Claesson
Injured: Andrew Hammond (ankle), Clarke MacArthur (concussion)
Personal leave: Craig Anderson
Rangers projected lineup
Chris Kreider -- Derek Stepan -- Mats Zuccarello
Michael Grabner -- Kevin Hayes -- J.T. Miller
Jimmy Vesey -- Oscar Lindberg -- Jesper Fast
Matt Puempel -- Marek Hrivik -- Brandon Pirri
Marc Staal -- Nick Holden
Brady Skjei -- Kevin Klein
Antti Raanta
Brandon Halverson
Scratched: Adam Clendening, Henrik Lundqvist
Injured: Rick Nash (groin), Mika Zibanejad (broken fibula), Pavel Buchnevich (back)
Status report
O'Connor was recalled from Binghamton of the American Hockey League on Tuesday after starting in Binghamton on Monday. He'll back up Condon with Hammond still out. The remainder of the Senators lineup will be the same. ... Halverson was recalled from Hartford of the AHL to back up Raanta. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault will provide an update on the remainder of the lineup prior to the game.
Who's hot
Smith has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past four games. … Ryan has six points (four goals, two assists) in his past six games. … Stone has six points (one goal, five assists) in his past five games. … Turris has four assists in a three-game point streak. … Stepan has five points (two goals, three assists) in a three-game point streak. … Zuccarello has five assists in a three-game point streak. … Kreider has four points (three goals, one assist) in his past three games.
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