Preview: Rangers at Blackhawks CHICAGO (Interstat) — Two teams looking to halt recent slides will meet when the New York Rangers visit the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Wednesday night. The Rangers (15-16-0) arrive after dropping two straight in overtime, including a 3-2 loss to Vegas on Sunday. They have lost three of their last four overall. The Blackhawks (12-17-0) are reeling from a disastrous California trip, having been outscored 14-1 in consecutive losses to Los Angeles and Anaheim. Chicago was shut out 6-0 by the Kings on Saturday before a 7-1 drubbing by the Ducks on Sunday. New York’s offense runs through center Mika Zibanejad, who has been a consistent producer. He has points in eight of his last ten games, tallying four goals and eight assists in that span. He had a goal and an assist in the overtime loss to Vegas. Winger Alexis Lafreniere, with a goal and an assist Sunday, and Artemi Panarin also provide key scoring punch. For Chicago, winger Tyler Bertuzzi has been a bright spot during a tough stretch. He has points in six of his last ten contests, including a goal in Sunday’s blowout loss. Rookie defenseman Artyom Levshunov, the second overall pick in 2024, is coming off an assist in that game and continues to log major minutes. The Rangers have shown an ability to grind out close games, with five of their last ten decisions being one-goal margins. The Blackhawks, however, have struggled with consistency, alternating wins with prolonged losing streaks. Their defensive structure will be tested after the weekend’s lopsided results. This is the first meeting between the teams this season. Following this game, the Blackhawks host a back-to-back set, traveling to St. Louis on Friday before returning home to face Detroit on Saturday. The Rangers continue a road-heavy December schedule, returning home to host Montreal on Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.