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Pens flip the switch at MSG in 5-2 win Thursday, Isles on tap Friday

April 8, 2021, 10:25 PM ET [376 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Rangers played with fire Tuesday and were bailed out by their power play and Igor Shesterkin. No such luck Thursday, as Pittsburgh got off to an early lead they never relinquished. Lots of positives in the loss, but moral victories mean little this time of year, New York gets no easier of a time, as they turn right back around and face the Isles on Friday.

A few thoughts:
1) Hitting the open net - Friday's morning skate should be practice hitting the open net. Mika Zibanejad missed on a feed from Pavel Buchnevich in the first period. Later, after a great forecheck and strip by Kaapo Kakko, Flip Chyil missed an open net as well. Add in a crossbar off a deflection and a blown penalty shot opportunity by Chris Kreider and you see how easy the score could have been reversed.

2) Colin Blackwell/Kevin Rooney - for years, we wanted the return of a good fourth line. GM Jeff Gorton finally brought in two players perfectly suited for that role. Blackwell has been good since moving up to the second line two games ago. Both players have fit in nicely, providing strong veetran play. Will be interesting to see if either are moved - I hope not - by the trade deadline.

3) Libor Hajek - his poor play continued Thursday. Poor angle taken on the Pens' first goal, a pattern we have too often. The thread below is how a blueliner needs to play defense to be successful. Of that list, how few of them have we seen from Hajek? It's Tarmo time.



4) Shesterkin - four goals allowed but not close to the story. Brilliant in stretches again keeping New York in the game. I would roll with him again on Friday against the Isles.

5) Zac Jones - another potential top-four blueliner in the pipeline. Jones has improved year over year, developing into one of the better prospects in the team's system. Not only that, but maybe one of the upper tier d-prospects in the NHL.



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