The Rangers ended their two-game losing streak with a solid 4-2 win over the Senators on Monday. New York scores three times in the third to break a 1-1 tie after two periods for the victory. The two teams meet again Thursday in Ottawa.
Game recap:
While the win was nice, this was the best moment of the night as the Rangers had their Hockey Fights Cancer game at MSG:
A very special ceremonial puck drop before the @NYRangers game on #HockeyFightsCancer night @TheGarden. #NYR pic.twitter.com/NVQ1X8ok8s
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) November 27, 2018
A few thoughts: 1) Henrik Lundqvist - brilliant again in the win. Little he could do on either Mark Stone goal, but besides that, was spectacular, especially the first two periods and a 90 second span late on the third. He and Craig Anderson each benefits from posts/crossbars, but both were at the top of their game.
2) Marc Staal - got on the board with his first of the season at 10:55 of the first period. Several good reads on the play, leading to the tally, as pointed out by Steve Valiquette. Ataal is the whipping boy on the blueline, but his play this year hasn’t been bad or at least, not as horrible as many believe is the case. He lacks the quickness he once possessed but when he plays physical, as he did against Washington, Staal can still be an effective defenseman.
.@VallysView takes a closer look at the Marc Staal goal that got #NYR going on their way to a win tonight. pic.twitter.com/0Udym2xEAb
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) November 27, 2018
3) Mika Zibanejad and the top line: Larry Brooks noted this is his game column:
Zibanejad, who opened the season as the presumptive No. 1 centering Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich, has skated between Vlad Namestnikov and Jesper Fast. Until this one, Zibanejad had gone seven straight without scoring. Namestnikov had scored one goal in his last 13 games. Fast has not scored since getting one on opening night, 24 games ago.
Despite those numbers, the current top trio had actually played fairly well. In addition, keeping those three together enabled the Chris Kreider-Kevin Hayes-Filip Chytil grouping to remain as a unit. Granted, we all want and need to see more scoring but that line has been solid. I do expect Fast to get moved off the line once Mats Zuccarello is fully healthy. But if Nam misses Thursday’s game after getting trucked by Thomas Chabot, then Fast will remain even if Zucc plays.
In the meantime, defensemen have accounted for a collective 10 goals in the last 12 games, and seven at even-strength. All seven D have scored at least one, with Staal getting on the board in the first period of this one.“All of the good teams use their D to join the play and create havoc and chaos in the offensive zone,… Zibanejad said. “It’s important for them to join in, even the stay-at-home guys. Maybe they open it up for someone else to score.…
Neal Pionk has obviously been very good from the blue line and Brady Skjei has shows signs of scoring. But we all would like to see even more from Kevin Shattenkirk, who has been far from the offensive threat expected when signed to the four-year, $26.6 million deal last off-season. Now fully healthy, the brief snippets we have seen need to be the norm and he has to take a step forward in generating the attack while also being better in his own zone.
4)Lias Andersson - good job going to the dirty area to score his first goal of the season and second overall in 18 NHL games off Ryan Strome’s shot. Granted, the shot deflected off his backside and in, but it counts all the same, as noted by Andersson, who said: “A goal is a goal. Definitely not the prettiest one, but I'll still take it."
The goal was challenged for goaltender interference but was not overturned. Despite the tally, Andersson’s minutes were still limited, which is an a topic of conversation amongst us since he was promoted and needs to be adjusted. Quinn needs to really start using his fourth line more to build confidence in the trio and reduce the burden on the top three lines.
5) Kreider and Chytil – really good chemistry by that duo. CK20’s goal came after Cody Ceci pinched in too low and Ottawa didn't have the support of a forward to stay higher in the zone to defend if the puck popped out, which it did, aided by a good play by Hayes. Great patience with the puck by Chytil waiting for the first moment to pass and Kreider was ready for the one-timer, resulting in the goal, which proved to be the game-winner.
6) Defense – another 6-on-5 goal against. Bad clear by Hayes allowed Ottawa to keep the puck in, resulting in the goal. That happens at times during a 6-on-5, but New York still has work to do in that regard. More concerning was the 90 second span in the third, where the defense kept skating from the end line to in front of the net, losing the puck and creating high-danger chances, which Lundqvist stopped. New York has to be a lot smarter with their breakouts, because yesterday could have ended a lot worse if not for Lundqvist.
7) Namestnikov struggled to get to the bench after getting hit by Chabot at 18:12 of the third period. After staying on the bench with his head down, Namestnikov went to the dressing room 10.9 seconds before the final buzzer. Quinn said he was talking after the game and called it progress, which I hope was deadpan humor and not actual, because that does sound a bit concerning.
Here is the update from Rangers coach David Quinn on Vladislav Namestnikov, who was clearly shaken up by a hit from Sens D Thomas Chabot in the third period: "When I left the locker room he was talking, so that's progress."
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) November 27, 2018