The Rangers got to enjoy Tuesday’s win over Pittsburgh in Wednesday while prepping for back-to-back games against Washington and New Jersey on Friday and Saturday. Two wins in a row, six of last seven and 10 of last 12 is the team’s current streak. Issues and areas needed remediation still exist, but a big reason for this hot stretch is the play of the somewhat newly-constituted fourth line, as highlighted by some of the NY papers today.

Boo Nieves has provided New York consistent play as the fourth line center. Nieves, who has not been on the ice for a goal against (130:58 of ice time) this season, was called up on October 24. Other than missing three games for an illness in early-November and one game late in the month for a lower-body injury, Nieves has been a daily fixture in the lineup since that promotion. That presence is due partially to need but also his improving play, seen the more he is in the lineup.

With No. 1 center Mika Zibanejad sidelined indefinitely with a concussion, others have had to step up. First has been David Desharnais, who has fairly seamlessly, at least offensively, stepped into the pivot spot in between Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. Second is
Nieves, whose role and ice time may increase further the longer Zib is out. Even when Zib returns, Nieves play has warranted his continued placement in the line and rise in responsibilities and trust placed in him by coach Alain Vigneault. That trust was seen on Tuesday.

With Nieves, Jesper Fast and Paul Carey playing well, AV sat Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes and Jimmy Vesey the the final 9:12 of regulation on Tuesday against the Penguins. Part of that decision was due to that line not having the greatest of games and AV at times shortening the roster late in the third period. But without Nieves and his line mates playing well and helping force that decision, there is no way AV would have made that change.

Vigneault likes to roll four lines, which is what having the Nieves trio play well affords the coach. But his decision to sit Nash, who even when he struggles offensively is one of the team’s best defensive forwards, is an endorsement of how good Nieves, Fast and Carey were Tuesday. Many fans rail on how AV plays favorites and he doesn’t punish veterans who should sit or reward the younger players, Tuesday was exhibit one on how that rhetoric is false. What that decision also does is show players that for the most part, no one is immune from sitting and also builds confidence for the kids.

The fourth line has been red hot lately. Nieves’ got the first goal of his career Tuesday. Fast, who also scored Tuesday, has produced four goals and an assist in the last seven and Carey has two goals and three points in his last six games. The offensive production of that trio has made up for the struggles of others. While the main goal of that line may be to help shut down other top-trios, the production of late has been more than welcomed and in fact needed. If that soup can remain even relatively hot, that will go a long way to helping the Rangers stay in playoff contention and continue to try and move up in the standings.

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