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Traverse City recap, Rangers split first two games but lots of positives... |
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New York split their first two games in the Traverse City tournament. After blowing a 5-3 third period lead and falling 7-5 against Dallas on Friday, the Rangers held on to defeat Minnesota 4-2 on Saturday. Next up will be Detroit on Monday. All four teams in the Ted Lindsay division are 1-1 with a goal differential of zero, so Monday's game will decide who moves forward in the placement game Tuesday.
Friday vs. Dallas:
The lines the Rangers used to start the game were the same as in Thursday's practice :
Gabriel Fontaine, Filip Chytil, Ville Meskanen
Micheal Lindqvist, Lias Andersson,Jakob Stukel
Tim Gettinger, Brett Howden, Ty Ronning
Dawson Leedahl, Drew Melanson, Jason Salvaggio
Libor Hajek, Brandon Crawley
Ryan Lindgren, Joey Keane
Sean Day, Nico Gross
Chris Nell
Lias Andersson, Michael Lindqvist and Jacob Stukel each notched a goal and an assist. Libor Hajek with a blast from the point on the power play and Ville Meskanen added the remaining two goals. Brett Howden, who played extremely well, notched a pair of assists while Neil allowed all six goals, the seventh coming into an empty net.
The five goals versus Dallas:
Saturday, the lines against the Wild were:
Gabriel Fontaine, Filip Chytil, Ville Meskanen
Jakob Stukel, Lias Andersson, Micheal Lindqvist
Dawson Leedahl, Brett Howden, Ty Ronning
Kyle Potts, Tim Gettinger, Reese Johnson
(Top two lines were the same. Leedahl moved up to the third line, Gettinger shifted from third line wing to fourth line center. Potts and Johnson replaced Melanson and Salvaggio)
Brandon Crawley, Libor Hajek
Ryan Lindgren, Joey Keane
Tyson Hegelson, Derek Pratt
(Crawley and Hajek switched sides. Hegelson and Pratt replaced Day and Gross)
Jeremy Brodeur
Gettinger, on the breakaway, notched his first from Stukel, who has shown he deserves a contract based on his play these first two games. Howden, who continues to impress and could get every chance in camp to make the team, tallied from Ronning and Lindqvist. Meskenan scored for the second straight game while Lindgren added an empty netter from Lindqvist and Crawley. Good job by the PK late to kill off a 5-on-3, including a nice shot block by Andersson. Brodeur stopped 24 of 26 shots to earn the victory.
You would expect Meskaken and Lindqvist to play well based on the leagues each played in last season. Both haven't disappointed and also should get chances in camp to make the team. I would expect Brodeur to play Monday.
As a reminder, I am out of pocket a lot this month. The dates I will be unavailable, which means I am incommunicado starting the night before, are Monday and Tuesday, September 19, 24-25 and October 1-2.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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