The Rangers for the second straight game rallied for a win. Down 2-1 late in the third, Chris Kreider note he’s a power play goal with under three minutes remains in regulation. Tony DeAngelo tallied 32 seconds into overtime to give New York the win in a night where Mats Zuccarello was feted at MSG. The Blueshirts take on the Hurricanes on Wednesday.
Game recap:
Zucc Tributes:
Forever our favorite Norwegian.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 26, 2019
Thank you for the memories, Zucc! pic.twitter.com/0U20pEy8Rv
Tonight is gonna be a tough one. No video or words could describe what you meant to every @NYRangers fan, Zucc. Thank you for your heart, soul and service. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger. @zuccarello36 💙 pic.twitter.com/HgNzNTQlT1
— AJ Castiglia (@ajcastigliaa) November 25, 2019
Zucc's comments post-game:
Zuccarello on NYR fan reception: "It was emotional for sure in the beginning in the 1st pd and leading up to the game. Maybe more than I realized. I had a great relationship w everyone here for many years. It was unbelievable for me. I had to fight back some tears there."
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) November 26, 2019
Hank and Zucc:
Hank and Zucc are reunited and it feels soooooooo good 😠😠😠#LGR pic.twitter.com/0nOoTFemsL
— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 25, 2019
David Quinn Post-Game:
“You can just feel us growing as a team. If you’re going to have success, you’re going to need togetherness.… - Coach Quinn pic.twitter.com/t2MBYxMeak
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 26, 2019
Quinn on Kreider:
More: "He keeps playing, he's great in the locker room, he's got a great demeanor. I think he's been playing really well the last few weeks. For his sake, I want him to get rewarded statistically, but he's certainly doing a lot of the things that we're going to need him to do." https://t.co/zCbsMllZ1g
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) November 26, 2019
Kreider post-game:
Kreider tells it like it is and that's one of the many reasons we love him 🙊 🙊 🙊 #LGR pic.twitter.com/6CTy9mqghj
— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 26, 2019
Lundqvist 5th overall in wins, passing CuJo with 455 victories:
Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist30) isn’t called the King for nothing. 📄 pic.twitter.com/diaiyqQErw
— NHL (@NHL) November 26, 2019
We have a new member among the five winningest goaltenders in NHL history.@HLundqvist30 earned his 455th career regular-season victory to pass Curtis Joseph for sole possession of fifth place on the League’s all-time list. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/AqxCGVVBpK
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 26, 2019
.@VallysView and @jaygeemsg discuss Hank's elite level of play in tonight's win against the Wild pic.twitter.com/HDgwWfUwRo
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) November 26, 2019
HUUUUUGE night for Hank!
— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 26, 2019
Becomes 5th all-time in wins, AND he didn't have to face Zucc in a shootout 😂 😂 😂
🔊 ON for @HLundqvist30 pic.twitter.com/g5UQAGutp6
Recent record at home:
The Rangers improved to 4-0-1 at home since Nov. 6 with their come-from-behind OT win tonight. That’s back to back comeback wins, both in completely different fashion but both I think showing the growth in a team that appears to be maturing in tough situations.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) November 26, 2019
A few thoughts: 1)Artemi Panarin continues to roll. Assists on all three of the Rangers’ goals yesterday. The high leg kick needs some work but you can tell he is having fun on the ice.
2) Brady Skjei - he has stepped up his game recently ever since serving a a healthy scratch. The re-pairing of him and Jacob Trouba shows signs of being a solid duo. Skjei has remarked how playing with Trouba, seeing how physical he is and solid defensively has enabled him to step his game offensively. Much better reads on the ice, including on his goal.
3) Quinn shuffled the lines slightly to start the game. Panarin and Ryan Strome remained together on the top line, but Kreider was moved up to join them while being shifted from his usual right wing position to the left. Brendan Lemieux was promoted to the second line with Filip Chytil and Pavel Buchnevich, while Jesper Fast took his place on the third line with Kaapo Kakko, moved from the right to left side, and Brett Howden. The fourth line consisted of Micheal Haley, Brendan Smith and Boo Nieves while Greg McKegg was held out with a lower-body injury.
Late in the third period, Quinn changed up the trios. Part of that night have been due to power plays, throwing off the combinations. But as Vince Mercogliano notes, there was a stretch where Strome was placed in between Kreider and Buchnevich, who was snake bit yesterday (and I am unsure if Quinn was tweaking Buch by calling him Captain Happy after the game), Chytil was centering Panarin and Fast and what had been the third line for much of the previous 12 games — Lemieux, Howden and Kakko — was reunited.
4) The game-winner - the Rangers started overtime with possession after Panarin won his first face-off of the season against Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who was taking it after Eriksson Ek was kicked out of the circle. Eriksson Ek was the Wild's only forward on the ice. Panarin took the face-off because Ryan Strome was also kicked out of the circle.
DeAngelo found space in the offensive zone because Ek and Ryan Suter each went to defend Panarin, leaving the Rangers defenseman alone in the middle of the ice. Strome helped make the play by staying wide as an offensive threat, forcing the Wild to keep an eye on him. DeAngelo beat Alex Stalock with a low, far-side wrist shot from above the right hash marks for the game-winner. ADA mentioned afternoon the game he considered passing but fortunately for him, the Rangers and Quinn - listen to the post-game conference above for what he said - DeAngelo took the shot.
5) Full Quinn comment on Kreider below. Maybe it’s the Boston connection but you can see how highly the Rangers’ coach thinks of CK20. Who knows what will helps Kreiders on the Storm but when he is playing like this, New York is a tough team and face and his value on the open market and trade don’t rises.
"This is the second year I’ve been through people that are in the last year of their deals, and people obviously talk about it, and that's pro sports," Quinn said. "But he’s handled it as well, if not better, than anybody. He keeps playing, he's great in the locker room, he's got a great demeanor. I think he's been playing really well the last few weeks. For his sake, I want him to get rewarded statistically, but he's certainly doing a lot of the things that we're going to need him to do for us to have success. I’ve been moving him around a little bit, and he responds to it."