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Rangers rally for win after Gallant adds Glimmer Twins to top line |
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The Rangers lost three one-goal leads but rallied for three goals in the third to pull out a 6-4 win over the Blues on Monday. After rightfully getting booed off the ice at the end of the second stanza, the line changes made late in that period paid fruition in the third. New York gets to exhale slightly and enjoy the win before embarking on a two-game road trip to Vegas and Colorado followed by home contests against New Jersey and Toronto.
Condensed game:
Lines to start the game:
Kreider - Zib - Vesey
Panarin - Trocheck - Kravtsov
Laf - Goodrow - Kakko
Blais - Brodzinski - Gauthier
A few thoughts:
1) Lines starting late in second:
Laf-Zib-Kakko
Panarin-Trocheck-Kravtsov
Kreider-Goodrow-Vesey
Blais-Brodzinski-Gauthier
The Rangers were brutal in the second. After leading 2-1 on an Adam Fox power-play goal with 28 seconds left in the first, New York relinquished the lead 12 seconds into the second on poor defensive play, a common theme the first two periods. Fox and Ryan Lindgren were in the ice for all three St. Louis goals 5x5 while Chris Kreider was also a minus-three.
Gallant decided to shake things up, moving Alexis Lafreniere and Kakko Kaapo up to skate with Mika Zibanejad while shifting Kreider and Jimmy Vesey down to the third line centered by Barclay Goodrow. That change had been recommended by Vince Mercogliano in his column yesterday with Gallant referencing it in his post-game conference.
2) Lafreniere had the assist on K’Andre Miller’s first goal of the season that tied the game at four at 4:48 of the third period. The play started with a good forecheck and porous defense by St. Louis. Miller’s wrist shot from inside the blue line squeaked through Jordan Binnington, who was absolutely brutal in the contest. The shot might have been slightly screened but one that should have been stopped. Lafreniere had the game-winner at 8:16, scoring from on a deflection of Zibanejad's shot.
While Laf had the two points, Kakko - again - was noticeable on almost every shift. Kakko has been more physical this year and seems to have found another gear lacking in the past. But he remains snake bit.
As Mercogliano wrote, Kakko hit the post twice, including a breakaway in which he deked Binnington out of position but couldn't finish on the open net, and had another great chance from the slot in the third period that Binnington saved. After the game, Gallant and Kreider both spoke about how eventually Kakko will get one and how he is doing everything offensively but scoring. At some point you do have to wonder if he will ever have that breakthrough. But as long as he keeps doing what he is doing and playing as he has played, all we can do is hope that the floodgates will open.
Kreider was rightfully moved down. The good news is that he didn’t pout but upped his compete level. Kreider took advantage of Ivan Barbashev's turnover to score short handed to give the Rangers a two-game cushion they never relinquished.
3) Notes - the Blues came in 7-0 when leading after two periods, which ended against the Rangers. Monday was the third straight game that St. Louis allowed six goals, evidencing just how their defense and goaltending had been. New York benefited from playing a team that was fighting their demons even more than the Rangers. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist.
The end result is better an ugly win than a pretty loss, but unless there is a carryover to the road trip and sustainability from the third period performance, the win will be a mere blip on the radar.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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