The Rangers continued their recent stretch of improved play, notching a 1-0 shootout win over the Blue Jackets. Igor Shesterkin stopped all 27 shots in regulation and overtime as well as all three in the shootout. Vincent Trocheck tallied the only marker in the skills competition. New York is in Montreal to face the Canadiens tonight followed by home games Tuesday versus Ottawa, Thursday against Philly, Sunday versus Colorado and the following Tuesday against Carolina.
Game recap
Rangers lines vs. Columbus:
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) Shesterkin is back on the beam. After a rough patch and missing time with an injury, Igor has hit the ground running, similar to what happened last season when he had a slight break. Shesterkin is 4-0-1 in his last five contests, allowing nine goals on 137 shots. The bigger key is that he looks way more confident in net, displaying the aggressiveness and swagger that we have been accustomed to seeing in the past.
2) Mika Zibanejad was stoned not once, not twice, but thrice. The first two came during the game, the last in the shootout, First, he went to the forehand and Daniil Taraso stopped him. I tweeted I hoped he went to the backhand, which is his primary move. Sure enough, after Zach Werenski hit the post in overtime, Zib got another breakaway and went to the backhand. Same result. In the shootout, he went back to the forehand and was stopped again, looking to the heavens for answers. You could see the relief on his face when he hugged Shesterkin after the game for bailing him out.
Zib is scoreless in three straight. But if you think his play has not been vastly better, you either haven't been watching or the hate and ire against him is clouding your vision. That said, as Awolff wrote, his play during "his slump" certainly turned off many and rightfully so. He mentally checked out, which was evident on the ice. The driver for those issues may never be known. Irrespective of why that occurred, Mika created his own problems with the fanbase, though if mental, while not easy to dismiss it, stopping a train going downhill is not that easy.
He is certainly not all the way back, but he is getting there. Larry Brooks wrote that Zib is unlikely to go in a deal for JT Miller, presuming Miller is brought in. Left unsaid is because Zibanejad has a NMC and has already vetoed a move to Vancouver. Pressure can be put to expedite a deal, though I don't foresee that happening.
If Mika really wants to get back in good graces, he will continue the small ascension we have seen and regain his scoring touch.
3) Miller - a divorce between Vancouver and the player seems inevitable. The relationship between the two sides looks irrevocably broken. I know Brooks is okay with Laf going, though not Scheider. I am not a huge fan of dealing a 23-year-old, who was the first overall selection, for a 32-year-old who has played his way off three teams, including New York. Miller brings bite and attitude and is friendly with Trocheck, per Brooks. But the locker room dynamic has to be a factor. Plus, the optics of dealing the first overall and second overall picks in back-to-back seasons within a few month span of each other.
I ask this - is Miller the difference maker for this team? If you think so, then you make a move leveraging the cap space you own to reduce the amount paid. If not, then stay away.
4) Kaapo Kakko - good for Kakko that he has resuscitated his career. You can argue outside the NY spotlight and with less pressure on him, that is not a surprise. But he is making the most of his new opportunity.
The fanbase will already look longingly at someone who didn't get it done here after being the second overall pick. Blame lies on both sides, as the Rangers did little to maximize his potential with Kakko also failing to take advantage of the chances he had. Management decided to move on, which probably was the best case scenario for both sides.
Will Borgen has made the D better. Hopefully the picks bring back future assets that improve the squad. If the latter happens and Borgen stays, that still may not reduce the longing for what Kakko is doing wondering why that didn't happen here, even though we all know why.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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