The Rangers have lost only once in nine games at the Garden, going all the way back to Oct. 23, and have outscored opponents 30-12 in their eight victories.
But they have struggled from the drop of the puck over their last two games, allowing the first three goals in Thursday's game in Ottawa and the first four on Saturday night in Montreal. Once they fell behind the Canadiens by 4-0, the Rangers showed some pushback and made a game of it, but still came home with their fourth straight road loss.
"We're pressing, especially when you get down the way we did and as quickly as we did. Guys press," Quinn said.
Henrik Lundqvist will return to the Ranger nets looking to win his seventh straight at the Garden, where he hasn't lost a start since Oct. 21. Alexandar Georgiev spelled him on Saturday and made 36 saves.
Lundqvist will face no small challenge in the 15-8-2 Jets, who kicked off their three-game NYC-area trip with a 4-3 overtime win in Newark on Saturday. Winnipeg stands fifth in the League, second in the Western Conference, helped by a power play that is connecting at a 29.3 percent pace, second in the NHL.
Patrik Laine has plenty to do with that: The Finnish winger leads the NHL with 21 goals, including his five-goal game on Nov. 24 in St. Louis. Blake Wheeler's 29 assists rank third in the NHL.
As for Hadfield, his 262 goals as a Ranger rank fifth in the franchise's history. He will become the 10th Ranger to have his number raised to the rafters; his linemate Rod Gilbert was first, on Oct. 14, 1979, and his other linemate Jean Ratelle was most recent, on Feb. 25, 2018.
Given Hadfield's notorious history of playing pranks on his teammates - "he was really, really bad," Gilbert said - the GAG Line right wing couldn't help but exact a little revenge on Hadfield when they gathered for Jean Ratelle Night. Gilbert was one of the few who knew that Hadfield was next in line for the honor; Hadfield wasn't in on that secret. So at dinner the night before, Gilbert was merciless.
"The night before, we were all together, all the guys, and I said, 'You know Vic, if you had been a little bit nicer, and learned a few more French words, Jean and I could have brought you up there with us. But you don't really deserve it,'" Gilbert said. "He was mad. I got him good."
The following night, Gilbert made the announcement to the Garden that Vic Hadfield Night was on the calendar. "He was white as a sheet," Gilbert said.
His night is now here, and all the legends will be there, including Rod and Jean and Emile the Cat, reuniting the GAG Line once more, on the ice on Sunday, in the rafters forever.
"It's the greatest honor. And I'm so happy for Vic, because No. 1, he deserves it," Gilbert said. "The three of us made a big impact together. It's quite an honor for the three of us. It's like it's unimaginable."
