The Rangers played the first 34 or so minutes like it was men against boys facing Columbus. The Blue Jackets dominated the action, racing to leads of 2-0. 3-1 and 4-1. But Michael Grabner kickstarted the comeback with a breakaway goal and it was 4-2 after two. In the third, Columbus went into a shell, New York kept pressing and pressing and pressing and were rewarded. Adam Clendening scored twice, the Grabner was "shot out of a cannon (see radio call below) and New York stole - the only term that can be used - the game. The Rangers now get to really enjoy their five-day bye week.
I wrote a quick hit after each goal. Here they are unedited. Let me know what you think:
First Columbus goal Clendening fails to clear it. Lindberg doesn't move Calvert from in front. Screen, goal NutivaaraSecond Columbus goal. PPG. Failure to clear puck at line and bang, bang, bang. Goal Atkinson
Rangers goal - Nice touch pass to Lindberg and Grabner comes down with him. Top shelf wide side by Lindberg for what looked to be a huge goal.
Third Columbus goal in first oeriod. Klein makes good play on corner, then tries to get fancy and loses puck to Gagner. Puts it in front and Hartnell tap in.
Second period starts:
Fourth Columbus goal. McDonagh caught flat footed. Pirri fails to stop Sedlak. Breakaway, five hole
Grabner takes off after the draw, uses his blazing speed and comes down to beat McIlhenney. it's 4-2 after two.
Third period: Clendening first goal. Good puck and player movement. Good patience by Clendening. Screen Miller. Top shelf short side
Second goal to tie the game. Clendening from the boards. Great work by Lindberg, Fast and Grabner to keep puck alive in the zone. Shot should have been stopped.
Game winner. Skjei makes bad play to go around the boards and it went to Seth Jones who was open at the point since no Rangers were there. Jones misfires on cross ice pass. Grabner steals it, picks up speed like he was shot out of a cannon, fakes shot and then goes high off backhand for goal. Fifth breakaway goal of the year.
Here is the MSG Radio Call of Grabner's game winning, like LaGreca and Maloney were happy?
#NYR fans turn your ðŸ”Šâ¬†ï¸ to hear @DonLagreca and @DaveMaloneyMSG make the call on @grabs40's game winner! pic.twitter.com/D4NeMTVDQE
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 8, 2017
Here are all five Rangers' goals:
All 5 #NYR goals from last night's win including the FOUR unanswered to complete the comeback! 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/ay46ZJiyli
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 8, 2017
Some overall thoughts:
- Not a good game by McDonagh. Don't know why he and G were re-paired together after the first period as G wasn't good either but the rest of the D had struggled in that period as well. Klein was horrific. Holden and Skjei were paired together, which seemed to work okay. Zuccarello not good at all. Kreider strong game going to the net. AV sat Hrivik-Pirri-Jensen in third as well as Klein, which were the right moves.
- AV Post-game, way to heap some praise on Clendening (sarcasm dripping): "there is no doubt that I am happy for him (Clendening) but more happy for the team. We got an outstanding performance from Grabs who used his speed offensively and defensively. We played one real solid period that enabled us to win the game."
Clendening just saved your bacon by scoring twice in the third. Yes, he failed to make the clear on the first goal but how about a little praise for him, rather than going to Grabner in your post-game comments? maybe that's just AV's way with 'younger" players, but if/when Marc Staal returns from his injury, Klein not Clendening needs to sit. At Lundqvist sang Clendening's praises (starting around the two minute mark) and the team gave him the Broadway Hat.
- When Staal returns, the D combinations will be interesting. Does he go 27-76, 18-22 and 4-5? The big issues are who to play with McDonagh and who to play with Girardi? He may put those two together but I would leave Skjei there and have G maybe with Clendening so Holden and Staal are reunited.
- Grabner is now back on a roll and has 18 goals. Those 18 are more than he scored the last two years combined with the Islanders and Maple Leafs (17 in 114 games). The line of Grabner-Lindberg-Fast won the game.
- Lundqvist rebounded after a poor starts - again - to make some keys late when it tied at four. But, this was the seventh time in his 28 starts that Lundqvist allowed a goal on the first or second shot. in addition, he has difficulties in at the start of the second and third periods. It could be a focus or settling in problem, but whatever it is, he needs to fix it. Lundqvist isn't the only one subject to this problem, as Antti Raanta has been beaten twice on first shots-against. So, in their 42 games played, New York goalies have been beaten on their first shot or second shot in nine of those games, which is unbelievable.