|
Game 15: NYR 3 PHI 2, S/O, Georgiev leads way, Fox plays 30:07 in win |
|
|
|
|
|
In a contest between two teams missing several players, Philly with seven skaters out, the Rangers prevailed 3-2 in overtime. The Flyers tallied with 1:14 remaining in regulation to tie the game and New York was unable to capitalize on a power play in overtime. Kaapo Kakko and Artemi Panarin lit the lamp in the shootout to earn the win for the Blueshirts and Alexandar Georgiev, who was very good between the pipes.
Game recap:
A few thoughts:
1) Blueline: Already without Jacob Trouba for 4-6 weeks due to a broken thumb, K'Andre Miller, who was expected to return, was scratched before game time. That left a bottom-four of Jack Johnson-Brendan Smith and Libor Hajek-Anthony Bitetto. That grouping actually played fairly well. They were aided by Philly missing Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny, Jakub Voracek and Oskar Lindblom, who are on the COVID-19 protocol list.
Bitteto has been good since joining the lineup and you can see Hajek getting better and better and more confident every game. Johnson and Smith were solid enough. Smith scored his first of the year to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren, our new #1 pair. Fox played 30:07. Let that number sink in. Thirty minutes and 17 seconds out of 65 minutes. As Carp noted, that amount of ice time was the most since Dan Girardi in November 2014 — and he blocked four shots for good measure. Fox has logged 24:52 or more in 12 of the past 13 games Thank god for that duo.
2) Offense: Artemi Panarin was a beast. He had 16 shots attempts, hitting the post twice. Panarin was the best forward on the ice and the line of Panarin-Ryan Strome (who won 65.2% of his draws and played very well)-Kappo Kakko was very good. Kakko continues to grow nightly and is close to exploding offensively.
Mika Zibanejad does not look the same. Maybe the after effects of COVID are causing his struggles. If that is the case, none of us know when that will clear up. Zib shanked two one-timers and misplayed a handful of passes. He has had one good game this year, but the rest have been underwhelming. Same with Chris Kreider, who had another Pouliot.
Colin Blackwell continues to earn his minutes. The second PP unit with him in the slot and Kreider in front scored the first goal of the game. I liked Alexis Lafreniere on the point and when Miller comes back, his hard shot should help from the opposite point, though Bitetto did a nice job on Blackwell’s tally, getting the puck towards the net unimpeded. PP1 wasn't great, though Panarin hit the post twice and they finally had some puck and player movement. But I would have gone with the second unit in overtime.
If the bottom-six is the group driving most of the offense, well you know the rest. I thought Julien Gauthier was fine the other night, so unsure what coach David Quinn saw to say "he had a real tough night." I guess he and PDG will be rotating.
Quinn was all over the team to stay by the front of the net. Smith was rewarded for listening to Quinn, as he scored his goal right in front. Lots of teaching from the bench, but that didn't translate to goals but the team was better offensively. Though it's better than Sam Rosen calling Nolan Patrick, Nolan Ryan.
3) Goalie: The big criticism of the team's play in net - especially Georgie. - was the inability to make the timely save. Last night, this was not the case. While the D played well, Georgiev had at least half a dozen big saves in the first two periods. He came up big when needed, which played a large factor in the win.
It's one win. As Quinn said, it was not a Picasso. But better an ugly win than a pretty loss. Need to play better Saturday against Washington, following which the team has four days off until they face Philly again on Wednesday. and then Boston in consecutive games.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»