The Rangers might have played their most complete game of the season. With close to a full lineup following the return of Kaapo Kakko, who missed four games with an upper-body injury, New York posted a 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets. The Blueshirts kick off a four-game road trip Sunday in Seattle with the final three contests, the annual Western Canada swing.
Game recap:
A few thoughts:
1) Igor Shesterkin - kept the Rangers in the game early, as the Blue Jackets had five shots on goal through the first 2:28 of the first period, but they couldn't take advantage. Later, he stopped at least breakaways, allowing the team to maintain and extend the lead. Finished with 31 saves for the shutout, the third of his career. His first two came in a sweep of a home and home against the New Jersey Devils on April 13 and 15, 2021. Hoping coach Gerard Gallant starts him tonight against the Kraken.
2) Power play - They were 1-for-13 on the power play (7.7 percent) in their previous four games and 3-for-26 (11.5 percent) in their first seven before going 2-for-3 on Friday. Chris Kreider, the master of the deflection, notched both tallies. Larry Brooks summed up the move by Gallant to keep the majority of the first unit on the ice - with Ryan Strome in the box - leading to CK20's second of the game
and eventually the Rangers forecheck and speed through the neutral zone started to get the best of them....
A year ago, the Rangers’ first power-play unit pretty much refused to get off the ice. This year, it seems as if the coach doesn’t want them to change.Midway through the third period of the Rangers’ most imposing performance of the still-embryonic season, a 4-0 victory at the Garden over the Blue Jackets, Gallant called a timeout during a third period four-on-three to keep Artemi Panarin, Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox on the ice.
It was the third time this season Gallant had pulled the maneuver. He explained he did it this time only to get the quartet work on the four-on-three even while holding a 3-0 lead. Bing bong, just like that, 36 seconds later, Kreider had scored his second power-play goal of the night on his second artful redirection from in front, and the final score was cemented.
On a night when the Rangers had 5:28 of power-play time, the Core Four of Kreider, Fox, Zibanejad and Panarin were on the ice together for 5:09 with the man advantage.
The second unit will eventually have to play a role. But, for now, getting the first grouping going is a focus. Until that fully happens, look for the Core Four or Five to see as much PPTOI as they can handle.
3) Kreider has scored all of the Rangers' power-play goals this season. As he noted in his post-game comments, all the work he did in college - with a hat tip to Greg Brown - has paid off. Add in the growth shown under coach David Quinn last year and you have a player who knows the tricks of the trade in front of the net. Great hand-eye coordination, willingness to take the punishment and ability to deflect pucks on forehand and backhand has made Kreider the weapon he has become on the power play.
4) Panarin had three assists as did Fox. We know how good Fox is and we saw it again on the pass to Alexis Lafreniere for his tally. Panarin missed Strome as Strome missed Panarin, but if Panarin starts to cook a little, same with Zib, the top six, even with Barclay Goodrow on the first line, could be very dangerous.