Rangers  3    Hurricanes  1

New York Rangers (16-16-3) at Carolina Hurricanes (9-20-6), 7 p.m.

Sports Network | December 21, 2009

(Sports Network) - The New York Rangers will try to win three straight games for the first time since an October hot streak when they visit the lowly Carolina Hurricanes tonight at RBC Center.

The Rangers have ended a five-game skid with consecutive road wins over the New York Islanders and Philadelphia. The club hasn't had much to be happy about since it had a seven-game winning streak from October 3-17. New York has just eight total wins (8-15-3) since that epic hot streak in the early stages of the season.

New York head coach John Tortorella was obviously furious with his team's effort in last Wednesday's 2-1 home loss to the rival Islanders and laid into his team with an expletive-filled tirade following that defeat. The team apparently received the coach's message and responded with a 5-2 victory over the Isles in the finale of the home-and-home series on Thursday.

That was also the first game that veteran defenseman Wade Redden was a healthy scratch for as Tortorella decided to shake things up by benching a player who signed a six-year, $39 million deal with the Rangers prior to last season.

Redden was again scratched for Saturday's game in Philadelphia and the Rangers also won that contest by a 2-1 score. Henrik Lundqvist was solid with 36 saves and Artem Anisimov's second-period goal wound up as the game-winner in the close regulation win over the Flyers.

Chris Drury opened the scoring in the first period and Lundqvist shut the door with 28 saves over the final 40 minutes for New York.

"We needed to stay in control, let them shoot from the outside. Right now I'm just so focused in trying to turn this thing around. I feel good. It's all about your mindset. The only thing I think about is the next shot. Don't analyze too much. Try to stay within my game," Lundqvist said.

With their last two wins, the Rangers have improved to 9-7-2 as the visiting team on the season. New York will begin a three-game homestand with Wednesday's test against Florida. The Blueshirts will also host the Islanders and Flyers during the residency.

The Hurricanes are last in the NHL with just 24 points, but have put together their best month of the season with a 4-3-1 record in December. Carolina had put together a combined 5-17-5 record in the opening two months of the campaign.

Carolina has won two of its last three games and avoided a home-and-home sweep by beating the visiting Florida Panthers, 3-2, on Saturday. Sergei Samsonov's second-period tally proved to be the difference in the close win at RBC Center.

Matt Cullen scored a goal for Carolina and collected an assist on Patrick Dwyer's marker. Cam Ward made 28 saves for the Hurricanes, who rebounded from a 6-3 loss Friday in Sunrise.

The Hurricanes could have a pair of defenseman back in the lineup as both Tim Gleason and Niclas Wallin are questionable for tonight. Gleason has sat out the last three games with concussion-like symptoms, while Wallin has missed seven straight with an upper-body injury.

The 'Canes are 8-7-2 as the host this year and are playing the second test of a four-game homestand. Carolina has won three straight on home ice.

The Rangers and Hurricanes are meeting for the first time this year, but will play four times from now to January 27. The teams split four matchups in 2008-09, but New York has won seven of the last 11 encounters. However, the Blueshirts have dropped three of four and eight out of 10 in Raleigh.