RED WINGS (4-11-1) at RANGERS (5-6-1) 8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVAS
Lundqvist hasn't played since Oct. 27, when he allowed four goals on 31 shots in two periods of a 7-4 loss to the Boston Bruins. He is 2-3-0 with a 3.58 goals-against average and .906 save percentage this season. The Rangers won back-to-back games before a 6-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Monday. The Red Wings have lost three straight games by a combined 17-4. They're 1-10-1 since Oct. 12, getting outscored 52-20.
Players to watch
Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin has five points (two goals, three assists) in his past five games. Rangers rookie forward Kaapo Kakko had a goal and an assist against Ottawa for his first multi-point game in the NHL.
They said it
"The two words I've talked about are competitiveness and sacrifice. We have to outcompete people. We have to out-sacrifice people. We're not going to win games on our talent alone. We have to do those other things to an extraordinary level. I'm hoping we're extraordinary at that tonight." -- Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill "I expect a good night out of [Lundqvist]. That's why he's in there. I think he's done a good job adapting. I think he's had a good year. I think he's done a good job adapting to a reduced workload. It's just the way the League is going and the situation we're in, I think he's going to benefit from it long term." -- Rangers coach David Quinn
Zibanejad will miss his fourth straight game. Quinn said he also won't play at the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. … McIlrath, the Rangers' first-round pick (No. 10) in the 2010 NHL Draft, will play in his first NHL game this season after being recalled from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. … Andersson will be scratched for the first time this season. … Staal and McKegg will play after each was scratched for the past three games.
Stat pack
Howard is 10-3-3 with a 1.77 GAA and .948 save percentage against the Rangers, including 4-3-2 with a 1.88 GAA and .946 save percentage at Madison Square Garden.
