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Game 28: NYR 2 WPG 1, Hayes with GWG, Special Teams Huge, @Chi tonight |
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No Zib. No Buch. no Nash-ty. No Big Vesey. No Pump. No worries? Well, maybe some, but the Rangers found a way to eke out a 2-1 win over Winnipeg on Thursday. New York gets precious little time to enjoy the win, as they face the Blackhawks on Friday.
Due to the injuries, the line combinations were:
Grabner-Hayes-Miller
Kreider-Step-Zucc
Hrivik-Lindberg-Fast
Jensen-Jooris-Pirri
McD-Girardi
Staal-Holden
Skjei-Klein
Raanta
It's unclear if Vesey's upper-body injury will allow him to play Friday, so that forward list could be what we see tonight. Adam Clendening could get in as a seventh d-man or replace G or Klein. But it's just as likely that the lineup stays static. Raanta will be replaced bwteen the pipes by Henrik Lundqvist, who will enter the contest with lots of questions surrounding him and in need of a big-time performance.
Josh Jooris and Nicklas Jensen saw the least amount of ice time. Though, Jensen, who played just 8:31, did have 1:49 of time on the man-advantage. His usage increased late, as he received five shifts in the third and three in second. With a game tonight and Jimmy Vesey possibly out, look for Jensen at least to see an uptick of playing time.
In the first, New York was able to establish their speed game, avoiding the slogfest through the neutral zone that has existed the past few weeks. That speed finally resulted in a goal on the power play from Chris Kreider 8:02 into the first period. That goal came at the end of a tic-tac-toe passing sequence from Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan. With the PPG, CK20 extended his point streak to four games (three goals, two assists over the span), tying his career-high. We have talked about the need for Kreider to step up due to all the injuries and lately, he has done so.
New York had ample changes to score, but were unable to convert on off-man rushes and open nets. Those chances included when Kreider lost control of the puck on a breakaway while J.T. Miller and Michael Grabner both had chances of their own to pad the lead but were unable to find the net. At that point, we all felt New York had wasted a major chance to blow the game open and those missed opportunities would come back to haunt them.
In the second, the switch flipped, as Winnipeg took control of the game. The Jets limited ghetto Rangers space and pinned them deep in their own end. It paid off, as Winnipeg tied the game when Mark Scheifele potted one from in front of the net at 9:51 to take a 1-1 tie into the third. In addition. the Jets hit tat least hree posts or cross bars during that second stanza. Each dominated had dominated a stanza and whoever won the third would win the game.
In the third, New York and Winnipeg played a tight game with each limiting the other team's chances. Despite two penalties from Josh Jooris and Michael Grabner, the Rangers were able to protect the front of the net in front of Antti Raanta, who needed only 17 saves to take his record to 6-1-0 on the season with a 1.91 GAA and a .935 SV% in eight starts this season. New York held the Jets to just five shots and nine attempts in the third
With Drew Stafford in the box for high-sticking Dan Girardi, which was a completely unnecessary penalty and G did embellish a bit, Kevin Hayes mergers the game winner. Hayes controlled the puck below the faceoff dots and fed J.T. Miller, who then passed it to Ryan McDonagh for a wrist shot from the point that was blocked in front by Adam Lowry. The puck, though, found its way right onto Hayes' stick and he tucked it into the open cage for the game-winning goal and his 11th of the season, which came n his 16:38 of ice time, including 2:31 on the penalty kill.
A few bits of information:
Special teams made the difference. The slumping power play went 2-for-4 while the penalty kill went 3-for-3, including those two kills in the third period.
The win was the Rangers first of the season when they scored two goals are less. New York is now 1-7-1 this season in those situations. A much better and more impressive stat is that the Blueshirts are now 9-0-1 after a loss.
The Metro is tightening. The Islanders are 5-0-1 while Flyers have won seven straight. With Columbus and Pittsburgh hot, the division looks like it will a nightmare the remainder of the way.
A great stat was tweeted out prior to the contest: all 12 Rangers forwards were younger than 30 for the first time since March 1987. So much for the team always being old and the window closed.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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