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NYR rally to defeat TB 2-1 on Mika Zibanejad's PPG with 16.3 ticks left |
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The Rangers put on their big boy pants again, playing their second straight playoff-like game Saturday against the Lightning. After falling 2-1 on a late-game goal to the Isles on Thursday, the Blueshirts flipped the script, tallying with 16.3 seconds left to pull out a 2-1 win over Tampa. No time to rest on their laurels, as New York will be right back at it Sunday in Carolina. The win kept the team three points ahead of the Caps with a game in hand and two points behind the Pens, who have played one more game than the Rangers.
Game recap:
A few thoughts:
1) Resiliency. As @statboysteve noted during the game, the Rangers came into the game with the second highest win% when trailing after the first period with .409 (9-10-3), behind only Florida with .533. That number rose, as New York notched their 10th victory, rallying to tie the second in the second and win the game in the third. On the road, off the loss to the Isles, against the two-time straight Cup champions, the Rangers showed no fear or quarter, taking the Lightning's best punch and not blinking.
New York didn't play well in the first period, but flipped the switch the second, dominating action, The third period was relatively even, with both teams trading chances. Neither squad broke through until very late in the frame when the visitors pulled out the win.
2) Third line - the acquisition of Frank Vatrano moved Dryden Hunt down to the third line. That shift has helped Filip Chytil take his game to another level while Barclay Goodrow has remained his usual solid self. This trio was the Rangers' best of the evening, even when matched up against Tampa's top line.
Chytil has started to show signs of what the Rangers hoped he would be. Physical when needed, creative in the offensive zone while also not neglecting his defensive duties. More is required and consistency remains a question, but he has taken a step forward lately. If a reinforcement is added, this grouping likely will see some tweaks, but Chytil may have shown enough to stay as the 3C, though that remains to be seen.
3) Igor Shesterkin - matched up against Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor was brilliant again. Stopping 28 of 29 shots, several from high-danger spots, Shesterkin gave the team a chance, especially in the first period, to come back and notch the win. The victory was Shesterkin's 30th of the season in just 41 games -- he's 30-8-3 with a 2.05 goals-against average and .938 save percentage. Alexandar Georgiev is slated to play against Carolina, but you wonder if Gallant will go with Igor and start Georgiev on Tuesday against the Devils.
4) Jacob Trouba has another solid game. That has become the norm, as if he struggles, that's viewed as an aberration, which is the inverse of what we saw his first two seasons in New York. Trouba scored the team's first goal from the dirty area in front of the net with the marker his 10th of the season, tying his career-high in tallies from his rookie campaign in 2014-14 as a 19-year-old in Winnipeg. For the season, Trouba is at 10 goals, 31 points, 157 shots on net, 165 hits, 138 blocked shots, 80 PIM and a plus-15 rating; numbers befitting a top-pair blueliner.
4) Power play - brutal for 11 minutes and 20 seconds over five-plus man advantages, the power play came through late when needed. After an offside call and whistle, Gallant threw back on the top unit and was rewarded when Artemi Panarin made a brilliant cross-ice dish to Mika Zibanejad, who found just enough space for his one-timer to squeeze past Vasllevskiy for the win. That tally was Zib's 25th of the year, 13 of which have come on the PP.
Tampa prevented New York from setting up much of the night on the man-advantage. The Lightning did what the Islanders did, rushing the points and cutting off the cross-ice pass, until Panarin's dish. To beat this strategy, the Rangers will need to be quicker coming up the ice and setting up in the offensive zone. In addition, the points will need to put pucks on net, taking advantage of the penalty killers' aggressiveness, hopefully leading to either clear shots with screens in front and/or rebounds.
5) Trade deadline - GM Chris Drury should be encouraged by what he saw the last two games. If concerns existed as to whether or not this team could handle playoff-type intensity and play, that should have been answered. Now, it's up to Drury to provide reinforcements...within reason.
Claude Giroux only wanted to go to Florida, impacting the return that the Flyers received, though even with hands tied behind their back, I don't think Philly maximized what they could have gotten. The Panthers are a better team today with that acquisition, but they may need to add a blueliner with Aaron Ekblad injured Friday, though they don't have a pick in the first two rounds this year and no first or third rounder in 2023.
Boston got better with the acquisition of Hampus Lindholm, though he did not come cheap. New York was not paying that price to obtain Lindholm, even though he would have markedly improved the defense. The Bruins likely were willing to surrender multiple picks because Lindholm likely will pair with Charlie McAvoy along with the knowledge they would try to re-sign him. Boston did just that, inking him to an eight-year deal with a $6.5 million AAV.
Elliotte Friedman noted that the Rangers are in on Marc Giordano, Rickard Rakell and Andew Copp. each of the three would require a first rounder at a minimum. Drury looks to be reluctant, understandably so, at paying that price. But that is what the current market looks to be bearing, given what we have seen to date. That ask may come down as the 3pm trade deadline Monday approaches, depending on who else is moved by then and if a team gets desperate. Phil Kessel, Calvin de Haan and Nick Leddy also may be in the mix, but as we saw with the Vatrano add, a name not mentioned could very well be who is imported.
6) Rangers signed college free agent defenseman Brandon Scanlin from the University of Nebraska-Omaha to a two-year ELC. Scanlin’s contract carries an NHL salary of $925K and a minors salary of $80K and expires after next season, when the defenseman will still be a RFA. Scanlin just finished his third year at the school, posting 31 points in 38 games this season. At 6-3, 190 pounds, Scanlin is a big blueliner who could pan out to be a third-liner down the road, but we will need to see how he progresses in the minors.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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