The Rangers completed their four-game homestand with a 4-1 win over the Kings. New York bookended wins with a pair of losses to finish 2-2 at MSG. The Rangers, who likely will have Igor Shesterkin between the pipes Tuesday in Winnipeg as they kick off a three-game road trip, will also face Minnesota and Columbus on the road before coming home for a Sunday matinee versus Boston before heading out of town for two more games.
Game recap:
A few thoughts:
1) The
Shesterkin era may have begun in earnest. Coach David Quinn’s comments after the game make it pretty clear that the Rangers may ride Shesterkin while he is hot. Of the past 13 games played by New York, Shesterkin has been between the pipes six times, Georgiev, four and Lundqvist, three. Igor has been the most successful goalie on the team of late.
Shesterkin, who made 42 saves, has won three straight starts and five of his first six in the NHL since the Rangers recalled the rookie goalie from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Jan. 6. Those five wins and his fine play between the pipes is the main reason why Quinn appears ready to turn the reins over to him, as New York is on the fringes of the playoff hunt. The Rangers (27-23-4) are 4-2-0 since the All-Star break and moved to within nine points of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
“If you're going to be great you better know you're great, and he knows he's great," Quinn said of Shesterkin. "Thinking your great isn't ego, that's confidence and that's swagger, and he's got all of that."
2)
Kaapo Kakko, who has showed signs of breaking out and had a good game Friday, scored his first goal in 14 games and second in 34 games since Nov. 20 yesterday. The play was really made by Filip Chytil, whose no look pass was right on Kakko’s stick. But Kakko buried it past Jonathan Quick. The third line has been bolstered by Phil Di Giuseppe since his recall from Hartford. Moving Di Giuseppe to the third line has had a trickle down effect of improving the fourth line, which consists of Brett Howden, Gregg McKegg, who netted his first of the year yesterday, and Brendan Lemieux.
3)
Larry Brooks noted the following about the team’s play, which was mirrored by Chris Kreider:
The team’s defensive structure has improved noticeably over the last month or so. The club’s issues have had far more to do with poor decision-making and lack of puck support through the neutral zone and across the offensive line. There have been issues with gaps and ceding the defensive blue line but while coverage may not be quite reminiscent of 2011-12, neither does it conjure memories of 2017-18 or 2018-19. Fact is, the Blueshirts have surrendered two goals or fewer in six of their last 10 games and seven of the last 14.
“We did a good job backchecking, clogging the middle and playing with our heads on a swivel,” said Kreider, employing clichés appropriately. “We weren’t puck watching. We kept it simple, got into a lot of battles on the wall and we stayed with it.”
The lack of support through the neutral zone and ceding the blue line are issues that we have discussed before. I am hoping these are the next two aspects of defensive play addressed by the coaching staff. New York played a much smarter game then they did Friday, when they allowed Buffalo’s style to force them into turnovers and sloppiness.
The one goal against was a bad play by Brady Skjei, who decided to bend down and pick up his stick at the side of the net rather than just contesting the LA forwards there. This move gave Trevor Moore time and space to beat Shesterkin. Skjei rightly was criticized for this but overall, as I have said a few times lately, his play has been much better. He and Jacob Trouba will remain as the top pair for the foreseeable future, at least this season.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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