The Rangers got off to a brutal start to the game as the Predators carried the action. Several line shifts and a little what-for from coach Peter Laviolette sparked the team in the second period. New York got a Ryan Lindgren goal - his first of the season - in the third, then held on for dear life to notch a 4-3 win. The Blueshirts face the resurgent Sharks at MSG on Sunday.
Game recap:
Lines (at least to start the game):
Kreider-Zibanejad-Wheeler
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière
Cuylle-Bonino-Brodzinski
Vesey-Goodrow-Pitlick
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Gustafsson-Schneider
Shesterkin
Quick
Scratches: Jones
LTIR: Chytil, Kakko
A few thoughts:
1) Blender and adjustments: Laviolette was far from pleased with his team's play in the first period. Nashville dominated action, using their aggressive forecheck and grinding style of play - which was on display much of the game - to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Laviolette read his team the riot act, the term "gave us the business" was used, and shook up the trios as a way to spark the team.
Laviolette placed Mika Zibanejad, who has struggled a bit 5x5 this year, in between the Rangers' two most-effective wingers this season − Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière, a duo that entered Saturday ranked first and second on the team in 5v5 points. In addition, he moved Chris Kreider down and Jonny Brodzinski up to skate with Vincent Trocheck, who has been one of the team's most consistent forwards.
Blake Wheeler, who had been skating on the top line, but had not been impressive lately after an initial burst following his placement there, was subsequently dropped into the bottom six, where he played with Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow and was limited to just 11:01 TOI. The final reworked line consisted of Will Cuylle, Nick Bonino and Tyler Pitlick.
Those changes worked, as the Rangers were a much better team in the second period, scoring three goals. In the third, the Predators carried play, especially late, but the lunch-pail Rangers, bolstered by the fine play between Igor Shesterkin in net, found a way to pull out the win.
2) Trocheck - a monster game by him. A goal, two assists, 19 face off wins in 26 draws and his net front presence resulted in Lindgren's shot hitting off Jeremy Lauzon's skate, as he was engaged with Trocheck, past Kevin Lankinen. Trocheck had been rolling with Panarin and Laf, but he showed today that he is not just a product of that grouping. Trocheck had 22 goals and 42 assists last season but struggled to build chemistry with Panarin.
He opened the year on the third line but was moved up to the second trio when Filip Chytil was injured. Trocheck has taken off since then, as he has five markers and 10 helpers his last 13 games and 20 points and 22 contests on the season. Plus, he is leading the league in face-off percentage at close to 64%. Add in a little bit of an edge to his game and you have a complete player in all aspects.
3) Brodzinski - at the time Brodzinski was promoted to replace Kaapo Kakko on the active roster, he led the AHL in points, with 25 in 16 games. Slotted onto the third line upon his call up, Brodzinski was also placed on the second power play unit, Laviolette explained that decision, praising Brodzinski's willingness to shoot and finding a way to keep him in somewhat of a similar role as he had in the minors.
Brodzinski rewarded Laviolette's decision to move him up a line, notching a pair of assists. In addition, he made a huge defensive play late, thwarting a possible Nashville attempt at the side of the goal with the net partially open. He has not looked out of place since joining the parent club, and with Kakko out, should remain in the lineup. Could we see Brodzinski replace Wheeler in the top-six?
4) Igor Shesterkin came up big when needed. After allowing a pair of goals in the first on 18 shots, Igor became a stone wall the rest of the way. He surrendered just one goal the next two periods, stopping all 14 shots in third, especially late when Nashville carried the action. Igor has won four of six starts since missing four games in a row, but he has allowed three goals or more in four of those contests, so he is not fully back to the Shesterkin we have seen in the past. Jonathan Quick will start tomorrow against the Sharks.
5) Brennan Othmann - 10 points in his last seven games, including five goals in his past three games. His second goal tonight was an overtime winner. Othmann is making a case for a promotion, but New York would be smarter to let him continue to develop in Hartford. At 17-4-1 and with Filip Chytil back at some time plus Jonny Brodzinski filling a role, no need to rush Othmann.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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