Preview: Rangers at Blackhawks

RANGERS (18-9-1) at BLACKHAWKS (17-8-3)
8:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, CSN-CH, MSG+, NHL.TV

Rangers team scope

Goaltender Antti Raanta will start for the New York Rangers after making 17 saves in their 2-1 win at the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. Henrik Lundqvist was expected to start for New York, which has alternated wins and losses for the past nine games. "Of course you want to play, but Antti's playing well," said Lundqvist, who is 3-4-1 with a 3.05 goals-against average and .902 save percentage in his past eight starts. "I know I need to raise my level a little bit. I also know my game is right there. I just need to clean up a few things and I'll be in good shape." Raanta is 6-1-0 with a 2.05 GAA and .932 save percentage in nine games. He made his NHL debut and played two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. It will be his first appearance against his former team, who went with Scott Darling over Raanta as the backup to Corey Crawford. Rookie forward Vesey missed the game against the Jets with an upper-body injury but Vesey skated with defenseman Adam Clendening and Lundqvist at United Center on Friday and said he could play.

Blackhawks team scope

Chicago will play its first game this season without defenseman Brent Seabrook, who sustained an upper-body injury in the Blackhawks' 4-0 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. The Blackhawks are also without captain Jonathan Toews and goalie Corey Crawford. Toews will miss his eighth game with a reported back injury and Crawford will miss his fourth game after having an appendectomy last Saturday. Toews hasn't skated in a week and remains day-to-day. "He's doing everything he can," coach Joel Quenneville said. "As a staff we're monitoring it closely and we're on top of it, so we're doing everything we can to get him out there as soon as possible, and making sure that when he is out there he's ready to go." Crawford is expected to be sidelined another 1-2 weeks. Seabrook is day-to-day. Darling will make his fourth straight start. He's 1-2-0 with a 1.66 goals-against average and .940 save percentage in the first three games, but had his first shutout of the season against the Coyotes.

Rangers projected lineup

Chris Kreider -- Derek Stepan -- Mats Zuccarello
Michael Grabner -- Kevin Hayes -- J.T. Miller
Marek Hrivik -- Oscar Lindberg -- Jesper Fast
Nicklas Jensen -- Brandon Pirri -- Josh Jooris
Ryan McDonagh -- Dan Girardi
Marc Staal -- Nick Holden
Brady Skjei -- Kevin Klein
Antti Raanta
Henrik Lundqvist
Scratched:Adam Clendening
Injured:Mika Zibanejad (lower body), Pavel Buchnevich (lower body), Rick Nash (groin), Matt Puempel (concussion), Jimmy Vesey (upper body)

Blackhawks projected lineup

Artemi Panarin -- Artem Anisimov -- Patrick Kane
Ryan Hartman -- Vinnie Hinostroza -- Marian Hossa
Dennis Rasmussen -- Marcus Kruger -- Richard Panik
Tyler Motte -- Andrew Desjardins -- Jordin Tootoo
Duncan Keith -- Niklas Hjalmarsson
Brian Campbell -- Michal Rozsival
Gustav Forsling -- Trevor van Riemsdyk
Scott Darling
Lars Johansson
Scratched:Michal Kempny
Injured:Jonathan Toews (upper body), Corey Crawford (appendectomy), Brent Seabrook (upper body)

Status report

It's unclear where Vesey would re-enter the lineup if he plays. He could skate at left wing on the second or third line. … The Blackhawks don't reveal their defense pairings in morning skates, so it's unknown who will take Seabrook's spot at right point on the second power-play unit. The best bet is Rozsival, which would allow Forsling and van Riemsdyk to remain together after a good game Tuesday against the Coyotes.

Who's hot

Kreider has three goals and five points during a four-game point streak for the Rangers. Raanta is 14-0-3 with a 1.59 GAA and .942 save percentage in 19 career appearances at United Center, all for the Blackhawks. … Kane has assists in four straight games and Hossa scored two goals against Arizona.