Six players will make their Rangers debuts tonight against the Colorado Avalanche at Madison Square Garden — rookie Filip Chytil, defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Tony DeAngelo, forwards David Desharnais and Paul Carey, and backup goaltender Ondrej Pavelec — but any long-term success largely rests on returning players.
It begins with starting goalie Henrik Lundqvist, centers Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes, who are moving up to the No. 1 and 2 spots in the middle, wingers Chris Kreider and Rick Nash, newest alternate captain Mats Zuccarello, Pavel Buchnevich and Jimmy Vesey, and young defensemen Brady Skjei.
All eyes at the sold-out Garden will be on Shattenkirk, specifically when he quarterbacks the power play, and Chytil, the first 18-year-old non-goalie to play for the Blueshirts since Manny Malhotra in April 1999.