The Rangers down 2-0 just 3:10 into the game - both goals coming in 68 seconds - rallied thanks to a bench tirade from Derek Stepan to beat the Senators 4-3 Tuesday. In the game, whether as a result of Stepan's blow up or just fed up with getting pushed around, New York showed some fire and resolve and responsiveness in rallying from a pair of two goal deficits. Stepan and Nick Holden each scored twice to key the comeback while Antti Raanta, starting for the flu-ridden Henrik Lundqvist, stopped all 24 shots, many of those saves spectacular, over the last two periods.
Stepan said after the game that his screaming on the bench came as a result of the lack of emotion in the two losses that preceded the three-day holiday break. The alternate captain answered his own call to step up (pun intended), scoring twice to give him 14 points his last 13 games. Stepan showed leadership in taking up the cause to light a fire in the team and now has a club-leading 28 points.
Holden, who came over to the Rangers in a draft-day deal just after the second day of selecting, has been the team's second best d-man all season. If you factor in consistency, he might be the Rangers' most steady blue liner. Holden scored the first goal of the game, cutting the deficit to 2-1 in the first. He did a nice job of skating up ice, going wide right and using the threat of the forward in front to beat Mike Condon top shelf on what was probably a weak goal but a well-placed shot. Holden scored the game-winner on a wrap-around through Condon's legs just after a power play ended. His night wasn't done, as Holden may have saved the game-tying goal in the third by getting his stick in front of a tip in attempt to an open net.
Raanta started slow, allowing goals on his first two shots faced, though it's hard to blame him on either. The D has to either block the shot or get the heck out of the way. Because on both goals, Raanta was screened. Raanta allowed Cody Ceci goal with just four minutes left in the first but was brilliant thereafter. His pad save on Ceci in the second was just one of the at least half dozen spectacular saves Raanta made. Raanta did benefit from a pair of shots off the post, including Derick Brassard ringing double iron on a power play in the third, but overall, he was tremendous 33 of the next 34 shots he faced after those first two that beat him.
Ryan McDonagh overall had a solid game. His three assists gave the Captain 21 assists on the year, as he rebounds from a step back season last year. McD had one bad turnover but was strong besides that. Unfortunately his partner, Dan Girardi, wasn't as good. Girardi was a traffic cone for parts of the game, so while he did block four shots, too often he was either beaten or in the wrong place or unable to quickly recover on the ice. My point of shifting up the pairings continues to stand.
What was most nice to see, besides the win, was the push back by the team. New York had been pushed around for a while and we have remarked that the team has lack grit and a physical component. That was not the case yesterday. With the Rangers down 3-2 in the second, Brady Skjei got hit hard into the boards by Chris Neil. Mats Zuccarello was the first to respond, getting right into the face of Neil, followed by Kevan Klein. Later, Marc Staal went after Dion Phaneuf when Phaneuf jammed his stick at Raanta. Jimmy Vesey had the first fight of his career with Mark Stone and McDonagh gave Jean-Gabriel Pageau a face wash when he crashed into Raanta. It was nice the team response and unity. It wasn't just one player responding, but the squad overall. First to Stepan's call to arms to wake up and then in response to the action on the ice. Now, the key is to maintain that level of physical play overall, but especially when needed and raise it as the situation arises.