The Rangers broke their three-game losing streak with a wild 6-5 wi over he Sharks. Defense was optional Thursday, as each team had a copious amount of chances in the game. New York received three goals from their blueline, two of which came from Ryan McDonagh, his first two tallies of the season and the third was a shorthanded marker by Brady Skjei, to go into the All-Star break on a winning note.
Game recap:
MSG Post-Game:
Who knew that Kevin Hayes was the straw that stirs the Rangers’ drink. His return to the lineup, scratching Vinni Lettieri, after missing six games with a leg contusion made a huge difference. That Miller-Hayes-Zuccarello line was pretty darn solid yesterday. A few bobbles and misplays but they created chances, driving the attack. Hayes scored New York’s first goal on a howitzer from the the left dot following a nice passing play that started in the defensive zone. Miller, rebounding from his benching Tuesday, scored New York’s final goal of the game and added two assists while Zucc had two helpers.
Miller said all the right things after Tuesday’s game. He didn’t move or pout or criticize the coach, but realized he didn’t do well. After the game, Miller said: “It's amazing sometimes, you sit back and look at how simple you have to play,. That's when the ice seems to open up. When you stop your feet, keep looking for plays and making something out of nothing is when you get yourself in trouble." Controlled and smart aggression are the keys. Miller too often takes unnecessary chances, which was the case Tuesday. Last night, he played a smart and simple game.
McDonagh was just waiting for the right moment to score (sarcasm dripping). That came in Game 50. I didn’t think he and Holden had a great game overall, especially Holden. On the first shift of the game, McDonagh turned the puck over at the offensive blue line and Kevin Labanc hit the crossbar. Later in the period, both McD and Holden went to Labanc carrying the puck, leaving Logan Couture wide open for what turned out to be a goal.
The defense overall, notwithstanding the three goals scored by the blue line, was so so. Ondrej Pavelec made a few big saves to bail out the D, but only 28 shots were surrendered. A poor line change, especially Brendan Smith, resulted in the first goal against when no one was in front to pick up Barclays Goodrow. Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s goal also resulted from a defensive breakdown. But breakdowns will happen in a game, as a perfect contest has never been played. It’s the repetitiveness of the mistakes that drives us crazy.
New York goes into the break on a winning note rather than a four-game losing streak. The team actually has played a bit better lately but the aforementioned mistakes seem to repeatedly up getting fished out of the net by whoever is between the pipes. Decisions will need to be made over the next month, so expect the rumor mill to be in more than overload during that stretch.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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