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Rangers finish gauntlet of schedule with 5-2 win over the Isles on Sunday

March 18, 2024, 1:32 AM ET [1 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Rangers closed out their stretch of six games in nine days in resounding fashion with a 5-2 win over the Islanders. Contributions were received up and down the Blueshirts lineup, as three goals came from the bottom-six and one each from the top two lines, Igor Shesterkin was his usual strong self in the win. The only negative - and it remains to be seen how bad that is, though it didn't look pretty - was the injury to Ryan Lindgren in the second period that forced out the rest of the game. The Rangers play again Tuesday, facing the Jets at home.

Rangers lineup vs. Islanders:
Kreider-Zibanejad-Roslovic
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière
Brodzinski-Wennberg-Kakko
Cuylle-Goodrow-Vesey

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Schneider
Jones-Gustafsson

Shesterkin
Quick

Scratches: Trouba (lower-body injury), Rempe (suspended), Ruhwedel
LTIR: Chytil, Wheeler

Game recap:





A few thoughts:
1) Of course we have to start with Lindgren. He was injured when he was checked into the end boards by Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who seemed to crash into Lindgren’s left knee, which appeared to buckle awkwardly. Lindgren lay on the ice for a few moments before he was helped off to the dressing room with 4:21 left remaining in the period. He was unable to put any pressure on his left leg as he exited the ice.

We all know Lindgren is like Robo Cop, he comes back from everything. This one looked particularly scary as his leg was caught underneath. If there was any saving grace, it's that it didn't look like his leg was pinned behind him or remained in one place, though his leg certainly bent at a bad angle.

Lindgren is probably out Tuesday and more will be known after imaging, which is likely, and testing. With him out, Chad Ruhwedel should see his first action as a Ranger as Jacon Trouba is most probably not ready to return. With the way Miller and Scheider are playing together, that duo should remain intact. Ruhwedel normally plays the right side, though they can attempt to have him play the left and replace Lindgren directly. My guess though is you will see Erik Gustafsson move up and shift back to the left side with Zac Jones paired with Ruhwedel.

Beyond the injury, I thought the D was good today. The Islanders had some chances, but the Rangers pretty much shut them down in the third period. In addition, they didn't allow the Isles to come through the neutral zone with speed, which slowed their attack.

Brandon Scanlin looks like he will be promoted, as he was a healthy scratch today. Scanlin, a 6-3 d-man, signed a two-year extension with the Rangers in mid-February. Connor Mackey is banged up and this is another indication of just how far Matthew Robertson has fallen down the pecking order.



2) Mika March - Zib is starting to feel it. Three goals in his last five games, including an absolute snipe of a one-timer off a feed from Jack Roslovic. When he gets going, it usually lasts for a while. Roslovic's speed and ability to get in on the forecheck has made an initial difference, making the line with him, Zib and Chris Kreider a more than solid complement to the Artemi Panarin trio. Zib is not fully out of the woods or back to his former self, but he sure looks a lot more like the player we are used to seeing.

3) Bottom-six - coach Peter Laviolette shifted up the bottoms-xi slightly yesterday during the game and maintained those lines today. Laviolette moved Jonny Brodzinski up to the third line and Will Cuylle down to the fourth trio, shifting Jimmy Vesey from left to right wing. Part of the change was due to matchups but I also think he wanted a different look from what he had been seeing. Today, it worked.

Cuylle gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the second, doing a nice job to stay onside and pirouetting to maintain the line and still have a breakaway. Beyond the goal, Cuylle was all over the place, dishing out eight hits while being in the right spot defensively. As Vince Mercogliano noted, the Cuylle-Barclay Goodrow-Vesey limited the Isles to only one scoring chance (which didn't register as high danger, though Bo Horvat did get inside position on Goodrow to tie the game in the second) while earning an 82.55% xGF, according to Natural Stat Trick.

After the game was tied at two, Brodzinski notched the winning goal by tipping a slap shot from Miller, his first score since Feb. 9. Right place, right time. Later, Kakko continued his recent stretch of improved play, opening the third period with his 10th goal of the season, his third in six games, an hard wrist shot from the right circle that upped the lead to 4-2. Kakko has been very noticeable on both ends of the ice, meshing well with whoever is on the opposite wing and Alex Wennberg as the center.off back-to-back

Matt Rempe's four-game suspension ended today. He certainly brings a different dynamic to the lineup. But coming off three wins in the four games he was out and two straight, you wonder if Laviolettte will immediately insert Rempe back in the lineup, especially against a team like the Jets.

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