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RANGERS PLAYOFF PREVIEW - March 8th

By BJR STAFF, 03/08/17, 12:00PM EST

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19U Elite Team Battles Bandits in First Round

BRIDGEWATER, MA -- It's playoff time! The postseason has arrived and it begins with the Elite team hitting the road for a single elimination matchup against the Boston Bandits.

"This is what it's all about," said Rangers Elite head coach Ryan Blair. "Win and move on, lose and go home. We've had a great few days of practice and the guys are ready for tonight's game in Bridgewater."

Tonight's matchup will be the 5th of the season between the two teams, with the Bandits having won three of the first four contests. When it comes to sports, parts of the game always have a strange way of working out, and tonight's game puts the two teams from last year's Elite Finals up against one another. Of course this year's teams are different from last year's squads, but the Rangers know their is work ahead of them if they want to defend the title.

Tonight's Bandits player to keep an eye on is Matt Kassab, as the '98 forward tallied three goals and four assists against the Rangers in the regular season. The native Virginia also led his team in scoring with 62 points in 40 games.

For the Rangers, a key factor towards winning tonight will be Nick Cramer. While the '98 defenseman only has a goal and an assist against the Bandits this season, each point came in the sole victory against the Boston rival. Cramer scored the game-winner in overtime back on February 11th, and will be leaned on heavily again tonight.

Follow the Rangers all postseason long on social media -- Facebook - Twitter - Instagram, and watch every game live through HockeyTV.