The Rangers extended their point streak to 10 with a 6-1 win over the Flyers. After surrendering the first goal of the game 1:25 into the contest, New York reeled off six straight tallies for the victory. Contributions came up and down the lineup with four of the goals coming on deflections in front of the net. The Bluehirts take on the Avalanche on Sunday.
Game recap:
Rangers lines vs. Philly:
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière
Cuylle-Zibanejad-Smith
Kreider-Chytil-Kaliyev
Edström-Carrick-Rempe
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Borgen
Vaakanainen-Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Scratches: Vesey, Jones, Brodzinski
A few thoughts:
1) Igor being Igor: a look at the numbers below show how good the team and especially Igor have been. The argument from some is that Shesterkin is carrying the team as well. My counter is that Shesterkin is back to playing at the level we all have been accustomed to and the Rangers have really not been leaving him out to dry. Their D has been better and igor has been up to the task.
The biggest key, as I have said before, is that he is making the big save at the critical time. That bestows additional confidence and allows the team to not always play from behind. Plus, he has his swagger back.
Some of the most relevant stats/trends that have led to this Rangers turnaround:
* They lead the NHL with 43 goals in January.
* Igor Shesterkin is 6-0-1 with a .948 save percentage and 1.39 GAA since Jan. 9.
* They have 17 different goal scorers in the 10-game point streak.
2) Defense: all six blueliners notched a point in the win. The chemistry between each pair is leaps and bounds from where it was three weeks ago. K'Andre Miller looks like the d-man we saw in 2022-23 and not the one that regressed for a season-plus since then. The additions of Will Borgen and Urho Vaakanainen have lengthened the blueline and resulted in the simple play being made consistently.
What stood out is how the whole team adjusted. Philly makes a living off the counter and odd man rush. The goal scored by Philly came on just that. But the team adjusted, especially after the first period, limiting the number of those types of rushes. Not just the D but the whole team.
3) Forwards: contributions up and down the lineup. If you want to criticize one thing, it's that Mike Zibanejad is still searching for his game. He attempted several passes when he should have shot, which is a confidence issue. His play has been far better the last three weeks than the two months prior but he certainly is a work in progress.
The fourth line was brilliant again while Filip Chytil showed again that when healthy, he is the best center man the team has and most creative. The only question is health. He will continue to prominently be mentioned in any JT Miller or Elias Pettersson rumor, so if you are tired of those now, just wait, more is coming.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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