The Rangers continued their winning ways, defeating the Blue Jackets 6-2 on Tuesday. New York (44-20-10), has won three in a row and is 9-1-1 since March 9. The victory was actually closer than the score would indicate, as Igor Shesterkin had to be sharp, especially early in the game. In addition, the players admitted after the contest to be looking forward to Thursday's match with the Devils, so their focus was not specifically laser sharp last night.
New York moved within two points of New Jersey for second place in the Metropolitan Division with the win. The Blueshirts can go ahead of the Devils in the standings with a regulation win against them at the Prudential Center on Thursday. Oh, and they sit just five points shy of Carolina, who have a game in hand.
Game recap:
Lines:
Panarin-Zibanejad-Tarasenko
Kreider-Trocheck-Kane
Lafreniere-Chytil-Kakko
Vesey-Goodrow-Motte
Mikkola-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Harpur-Schneider
A few thoughts:
1)
Igor Shesterkin has been back on the beam for several weeks now. He had to make point-blank saves on Adam Boqvist (29 seconds in), Kent Johnson and Johnny Gaudreau in the first 3:15. Igor made another stellar save later in the contest to help keep New York in the lead. He has won seven of his last eight starts, improving to 34-12-7 on the season with a .914 save percentage. The 34 wins are just two behind the career-high 36 victories he notched when he won the Vezina last season. Yup, he is most certainly on a roll.
2) The new linemates,
Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, each had a goal and an assist, Zibanejad is now up to 81 points (38 goals, 43 assists) in 74 games this season, tying his NHL season high he set in 81 games last season. The 29-year-old center has six goals and seven assists in his last eight games. Panarin has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last eight contests. The 31-year-old winger is up to 25 goals and 84 points through 74 games this season, hitting the 80+ point plateau for the third time in four years as a Ranger, the fourth season was a shortened campaign during the pandemic. The third member of that trio,
Vladimir Tarasenko, tallied on a beautiful deflection off a perfect Braden Schendier pass.
3)
Patrick Kane got in on the act with a short-side snipe, giving him markers in back to back games and the second line some production. Not to be outdone,
Filip Chytil scored a greasy goal to start the game, while Alexis Lafremiere added a pair of helpers with each point setting a new career-high. He is four goals shy of the 19 he scored last season, but has 36 points in 73 contests.
4)
Adam Fox also had two assists, and he has looked much more comfortable with
Niko Mikkola lately, though they were somewhat brutal to start the game. Ryan Lindgren was not surprisingly scratched again and could be in bubble wrap until the postseason. Overall, the D coverage was meh at best, but part of that was the lack of focus. They better be on their games and sharp Thursday, playing smart positional hockey while making good reads and better transition handoffs in their own and neutral zone.
Larry Brooks once again went through the importance of captain Jacob Trouba's meltdown on December 3 and how that turned around teh season to date. There is no question the event lit a spark under this team. For all the hate he is given by many, Trouba has shown the ability to step up and be a difference maker.
Over the previous 10 days, the Rangers had lost to the 31st-overall Ducks; had blown 3-0 and 3-1 third-period leads at home to the Oilers and Devils, respectively, and lost both games in regulation; had lost in overtime 24 hours earlier to the 29th-overall Senators after allowing the tying goal with 49 seconds to go; and were on their way to a 5-2 loss to the then-next-to-last-place Blackhawks.
The Rangers were on their way to their 15th loss in the first 26 games (11-10-5) when Trouba blasted Athanasiou in open ice with just under three minutes remaining in the second period of a game the Rangers trailed 3-0 at the time. The game after the hit, New York rallied to score three in the third to defeat the Blues, kicking off a 33-10-5 streak
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