New York Rangers (14-10-4) at Calgary Flames (17-13-2), 9 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Rangers will try to post their longest winning streak of the season on Tuesday night when they visit a Calgary Flames club in the midst in its longest skid of the campaign.
The Rangers have won the first two of their current four-game road trip, pushing their overall winning streak to three in a row. They opened the swing with a 5-1 rout of Vancouver, then shut out the Edmonton Oilers 2-0 on Sunday.
Henrik Lundqvist made 16 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and 55th of his career. He has posted a 1.30 goals against average and .951 save percentage over New York's winning streak, earning the NHL's Third Star for the week on Monday.
Defenseman Dan Girardi scored the only goal his club would need late in the first period and Carl Hagelin added an empty-net tally. Rich Nash had an assist to give him six goals and six helpers over a 10-game point streak.
"They stayed back and were waiting for us to make mistakes," Lundqvist said of Edmonton's strategy.
New York was without forward Derick Brassard, who has been kept away from the team due to a suspected case of the mumps.
The Rangers cap their four-game swing on Saturday at Carolina and are likely to go with Lundqvist tonight. He is 3-3-0 with a 2.94 GAA and .878 save percentage in six meetings with the Flames.
While New York is trending in the right direction, looking to win four in a row for the first time since a five-game run in March, Calgary is heading back home following a winless four-game trip.
The Flames have lost a season-worst five straight overall, their longest losing streak since a six-game skid from Nov. 5-16, 2013.
Calgary has scored a mere eight goals over its current rut and lost a 2-1 decision to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday to end its trip. The 'Hawks netted their winning goal with 7:03 to go in the game following a miscue by the Flames.
Johnny Gaudreau, who set up Jiri Hudler for the lone Calgary goal, lost control of the puck when he fell down just inside the Chicago zone, triggering a counter rush for the Blackhawks.
Jonathan Toews dished to Brandon Saad and he beat Jonas Hiller over the glove on a breakaway.
"We have to turn this thing around," Flames defenseman Kris Russell said. "We aren't happy with how things are going for us."
Hiller stopped 26 shots for Calgary. He is 2-2-1 in his career versus the Rangers with a 1.36 GAA and .947 save percentage.
While the Rangers have won three of the past four meetings overall, the Flames have taken three of the last four played in Calgary.