The Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers are neck and neck in the Eastern Conference standings.
Ike and Mike -- They look alike!
The Maven is talking about two almost identical twin-teams -- the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers who clash tonight at the Garden.
How close are they? Take a gander:
Our New Yorkers weigh in at 46-20-4 while Florida is a gossamer string near-equal at 45-20-4. They're as close as pages in a book; and I'm not talking about your local bookie's book either.
Then again you might get an argument from Cats' coach Paul Maurice whose boiling point is ceiling high these days. And yours would be too if your 2023 Stanley Cup Finalists had just lost their third straight game.
"We've got to turn this thing around," carped Maurice, "and I mean turn it around real quick."
What possibly could be quicker than tonight's 8 p.m. puck drop against a seemingly vulnerable local sextet.
With crack defenders Jacob Trouba and Rumblin' Ryan Lindgren each doing choruses of "Bidin' My Time," you'd have thought that The Great Wall of Seventh Avenue was about to collapse.
Nay, nay and NAY. The likes of Adam Fox, K'Andre Miller, Braden Schneider and Zac Jones have been solid enough to cause amnesia over the missing pair.
Plus, trade acquisition -- love this name! -- Chad Ruhwedel hasn't looked out of place either.
Speaking of "Place," as in first place, Peter Laviolette's Worthies sit a point ahead of the Hurricanes in this luscious battle for the Met Division title. Meanwhile, Lavvy's Lads are a point behind Boston for tops in the league.
The Bruins are still reeling over the hat trick spanking delivered by The Breadman Panarin the other night in Beantown. The 5-2 beating definitively told The Maven that New York is THE BETTER TEAM -- no questions asked -- than the residents of the "Gahden."
Tonight's foes are a different story. Led by Sam Reinhart (79 points, plus-18) and Carter Verhaeghe (66 points, plus-16), they're reinforced by D-man Aaron Ekblad, Florida's answer to Adam Fox.
The Windsor, Ontario native is 4-13-17 over 47 games but, get this, he's a plus-26! Come to think of it, this is all small potatoes as far as the Matt Rempe Marching and Chowder Society is concerned.
After a successful return from his four-game penance, The Man Mountain Mauler played a competent, fight-less game in Boston. All signs indicate that El Rempo will line up with pals Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey once again.
Assuming that Matt pays attention to Laviolette, he'll do his human pinball act, scattering Tabby Cats hither and yon.
Meanwhile, The Maven will focus on the patchwork Blueshirt blue line corps.
If they match their Beantown efforts, I predict that Florida coach Maurice once again will be warbling, "We gotta stop this losing streak real quick!"
Again.
In other words, Rangers defensive depth is on trial -- Again!