The NY Rangers overcame a choppy first period to score three goals in the second period en route to a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames; in doing so, they won back-to-back games for the first time this season. While this was not a work of art, there were a lot of continuing positives to take away from the victory. So let’s take a look at the good (get to the net), the bad (another poor start), and everything in between (the lights stayed on….so we got that going for us.)
THAT’S GOOD!
ALL THINGS AROUND THE NET
So let’s encompass this with a theme of “around the net” to praise all things crease-related with the Rangers last night. That, of course, starts with Igor, who wasn’t super busy but came up big when he needed to. I’m of the mindset that it’s not natural how far goalies can stretch. I had Gumby dolls as a kid (Okay, as an adult too. Leave me alone!) whose legs broke off if you stretched them this far.
If I were a cynical Flames fan, I could yell and scream at my players to lift the dang puck, but that doesn’t make Igor’s saves any less impressive. The Rangers defense stiffened up as the game went on, but Shesterkin made some stellar post-to-post pad saves that could have changed the narrative of this game had they gone in.
On the other side, all three Rangers goals were accomplished because of net-front presence.
Lafreniere (who might be finding a niche with this) made a beautiful deflection of a Gustafsson snipe by parking himself in front of the goaltender. The second goal was a patented one as Kreider stood in his usual office (right off to the side of the net) during the power play. Panarin found him with a sweet pass that CK skillfully redirected past Markstrom. Finally, Chytil sparked the 2nd unit on a later power play with a smash from the point that squeaked by the Flames netminder, and Gustafsson (a sneaky great start for this team in all facets) poked it in for the 3rd and final goal.
It’s a wonderful sign for the Rangers, who have a habit of trying to make an extra pass for the fancy goal when, truly, it’s these types of tallies that make up the crux of a successful offense.
DEFENSE
Some of these categories might look like copy/pastes from previous recaps (Can you blame me If I did? These West Coast games are LATE!), but that’s okay when these positive trends continue. Once again, Laviolette’s defensive mantra that he instilled in this team shone through and has quietly become the backbone of this team.
No, it’s not especially exciting, but winning sure is, and when this offense starts to establish itself more within the system, it could lead to the well-rounded potential this team has.
Calgary was only held to 24 shots, and while they did have several chances (especially in the first), a lot of Calgary’s pressure was misleading. The Rangers did have trouble clearing for sequences, but if you look closer, a good portion of Calgary’s offensive zone time was constant cycling, looking for a lane that didn’t exist. It wasn’t perfect, but this clamp-down style definitely seemed to frustrate the Flames, especially in the 3rd when they came on the attack only to end up empty-handed.
ISN’T THAT SPECIAL?
(Sorry, I’ve been listening to Dana Carvey’s podcast lately.) Wow, though. Look, we’re in the box WAY too often, but our kill has looked fantastic, and I think it’s sustainable with room to grow. We’re adept at limiting the chances, but you can sense the team is close to establishing the shorthanded threat again that the squad has become known for. To the point that we’re not only taking an approach of stopping the other team but adopting the mentality that this unit is as much a threat to score as the opponent.
On the flip side, It’s great to see the power play hum like this. What’s most encouraging is that it’s not a top-heavy attitude anymore, either. Lav has embraced BOTH units and seems to ride with what’s working. Admittedly, our top unit has the star power, but too many instances, Gallant would blindly put them out there for 90% of the allotted time, regardless of how they looked. It’s that stubborn lack of adjustment (not just with ST, but in all aspects) that is one of the reasons he’s not here anymore.
I’m sure there will be lulls throughout the season, but there seems to be new life in the power play, and that’s with Mika still struggling to find his shot. When that element returns, it could be darn near unstoppable.
THAT’S BAD!
SLOW AND LOW, THAT IS THE TEMPO
It’s another broken record here, but this team had another lackadaisical start. Bad habits aplenty, including an old-time classic of two defenders chasing one puck handler, leaving someone wide open in front. Blake Coleman didn’t miss, and we were in an early 1-0 hole. The team settled down quickly and re-establsihed themselves, but I still contend it’s a dangerous game to keep playing.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
The answer is MANY Rangers. I know this goes against my “our penalty kill is awesome” category, but still, it doesn’t matter how good your penalty kill is; we have to clean this up. Even if the other team doesn’t score, these can kill momentum, tire a team out, and, in many cases, keep your best offensive talent glued to the bench.
CAN I GO NOW?
- One other thing I loved about the last Chytil/Gustafsson goal. It came right after the first unit had trouble getting set and fell victim to trying to be too cute and looking for the perfect pass. So what happened? The second unit just simplified, fired from the point, and got the goal. It’s incredibly frustrating that our units don’t try this more when they see how often this works, whether by a pinball deflection or juicy rebound. The odds are so much higher of this happening than threading a puck through three or more defenders with their sticks down. Hoping it becomes a trend.
- Nick Bonino has been a sneaky good addition as a fourth-line center. He’s not on the scoresheet yet, but he has been a faceoff monster and shot-blocking maven. You have to watch the games to see it, but early on, he’s a perfect fit down there.
- Holy cow, Will Cuylle almost scored a goal that would have made me buy his jersey online on the spot. He showed a burst to the net, fighting off multiple Flames, but just didn’t get the finish. Still, it was a show of his talents, which are starting to bubble to the surface. He could be a serious weapon on that third line.
- The next game is Thursday night against a McDavidless (it’s a word. At least in Canada) Edmonton Oilers team. Still dangerous offensively, but it’s a squad that the Rangers should be able to score against. I’m predicting Mika’s first and hopefully more than that from him and everyone else.
