For the second time in five days the surging Rangers (21-8-4, 46 pts) will host the Islanders (11-16-6, 28 pts) Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have won four in a row, moving into a first-place tie in the Atlantic Division with the Flyers following a run that has seen the Blueshirts grab at least one point in 20 of their previous 25 games. They sit one point out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference entering play today, trailing only the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Henrik Lundqvist, who backstopped important wins over the Devils and Flyers last week, but who watched Marty Biron best the Islanders 4-2 last Thursday, will be back in goal this evening for the Blueshirts. Lundqvist owns a 22-11-5 all-time mark against the Isles, shutting out the Blueshirts' New York rival three times in his career. Marian Gaborik enters play as one of the hottest offensive players in the league, riding a four-game point streak with six goals and seven points in that span. Gaborik was selected as the NHL's second star of the week last week, as he helped the Blueshirts win all three of their games, notching the game-winning goal in two of those victories. The Islanders hit the Christmas holiday break with two straight losses after having won two games in a row, and they are currently tied for last place in the Eastern Conference. Share your predictions for tonight's game below.
