Tonight, the Rangers host the slumping Stars at MSG. Coach Alain Vigneault will stick with the same lineup that produced the best win of the season. Liking how they responded to the challenge defeating the Blackhawks 3-2 in regulation, the first-year Rangers bench boss wants to stay consistent.

That includes newest Blueshirt Daniel Carcillo. He debuted the other night logging nine shifts (7:15) with two hits and drew a penalty on Brandon Bollig that led to Mats Zuccarello’s power play goal. Even though he didn’t see much ice in the third, Vigneault liked what he saw. From a toughness aspect, Carcillo can provide that missing edge. Let’s hope he doesn’t lose his head.

For J.T. Miller, that means another night as a healthy scratch. When asked about him, Vigneault had positive things to say hinting that he felt Miller can become a good player. Already an active player who gets in on the forecheck, the 2011 first round pick would be better suited getting regular shifts at Hartford this weekend. Especially if he’s not going to play tonight or against the Flyers Sunday.

With Marc Staal and Anton Stralman reteaming to form a solid second pairing behind Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi, that gives the Rangers a balanced blueline. Like his predecessor, Vigneault knows he can lean on his top four in crunch time. Since returning to the lineup, Michael Del Zotto has posted three assists and been more firm. At the very least, he’s boosting his trade value. He is teamed with John Moore, who also has been better lately. Justin Falk remains the odd man out.

Henrik Lundqvist makes his third consecutive start. Coming off arguably his best performance to date, he’s looking to finally win three in a row this season. The last time he faced the Stars, he was magnificent stopping 41 of 43 shots en route to a 3-2 road win at American Airlines Center on Nov. 21, 2013. The Stars have slumped losing their first four of the new calendar year. They were shutout last night by Cory Schneider (26 saves) 1-0 in Newark.

During the losing skid, Dallas has been outscored 19-8. However, they do boast some talent in Tyler Seguin, captain Jamie Benn and rookie Valeri Nichushkin. Vet Erik Cole has had a resurgence with 11 goals. Always a net presence, the Rangers must prevent him from getting to Lundqvist. Ray Whitney is still effective on the power play along with defensemen Alex Goligoski and Sergei Gonchar. Avoid taking penalties.

Young forwards Alex Chiasson and Cody Eakin are also capable of contributing. Vernon Fiddler is the type of checking forward who has given the Rangers fits. They can’t get outworked. Figure Kari Lehtonen to get the start. He made 33 saves in yesterday’s 1-0 loss to the Devils. If Lindy Ruff decides to rest him, then vet Dan Ellis would be in net. A streaky backup capable of stealing a game. And we know how well our team has fared against those. 😛

If they get off to a good start, that should help. Score early and put some doubt into a fragile team. It’s important for the Rangers to start making The Garden rock. With a nice stretch ahead until the Stadium Series, this is the time to get it done.