Rangers, Canucks Meet at MSG in Cross-Conference Clash NEW YORK (Interstat) — The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, two teams seeking consistency, will face off at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The Rangers (16-17-0) return home after a 5-4 overtime victory over Montreal on Saturday, a win that snapped a three-game skid (0-2-1). Forward J.T. Miller, who scored two goals against the Canadiens, has been a central figure. In his last 10 games, Miller has recorded 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists). Vancouver (12-20-0) arrives following a 2-1 road win in New Jersey on Sunday. Goaltender Thatcher Demko, the key player for the Canucks, stopped 25 of 26 shots in that victory. His performance will be critical against a Rangers offense averaging 3.09 goals per game. Demko is 1-1 in his last two starts, with a .951 save percentage in the win and a .800 in a loss to Buffalo. The Rangers won the previous meeting this season, shutting out the Canucks 2-0 in Vancouver on Oct. 28. Both clubs have struggled to string wins together. The Canucks have lost eight of their last 11 games. The Rangers have alternated wins and losses for much of December and have not won consecutive games since a three-game streak from Nov. 24-28. Vancouver’s recent offense has been sparse, scoring two or fewer goals in seven of their last 10 contests. Defenseman Zeev Buium, who had a goal and an assist against New Jersey, and forward Jake DeBrusk will be relied upon to provide scoring support for Demko. For New York, Artemi Panarin, who had a goal and eight shots against Montreal, joins Miller as an offensive catalyst. The Rangers’ power play, operating at 22.1%, will test a Vancouver penalty kill ranked 25th in the league at 76.3%. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, the projected final score is Rangers 3, Canucks 1. Following this game, the Rangers begin a four-game road trip in St. Louis on Thursday. The Canucks continue their five-game Eastern Conference road swing on Long Island against the New York Islanders on Friday.