The Rangers (15-13-5) ended a three-game losing streak (0-1-2), winning for the third time in 11 games since Nov. 23 (3-5-3), 3-1 over the Ducks. Trailing 1-0 heading to the third, New York outscored Anaheim 3-0 and outshot them 14-1 in the frame. New York were scoreless with only 10 shots on net through the first 40 minutes. The Blueshirts are in Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Saturday and take on the Flyers on Sunday at home.
Game Recap:
David Quinn Post Game:
Lineup:
Chytil-Zibanejad-Zuccarello
Kreider-Hayes-Buchnevich
Vesey-Howden-Namestnikov
Andersson-Nieves-Strome
Quinn, after debating about moving Nieves back to center, made that move yesterday, putting Andersson at wing, resulting in a better performance from the fourth line. The other three lines remained intact from Sunday’s game. Following the win, I would not expect any changes Saturday.
Skjei-McQuaid
Staal-Pionk
Smith-DeAngelo
Last night, Brendan Smith, scratched Sunday, his third benching in the past four games, returned to the lineup. Smith played in place of Fredrik Claesson on the left side of a pair with Adam McQuaid. Seeing how well the defense played last night, I could see the same six being in the lineup Saturday.
Georgiev
1)
Officiating - Brett Cyrgalis spelled out the inanity of how the refs handled the Ryan Getzlaf-Vladislav Namestnikov “fight.” Amazing how double-minors were fished out with no instigator and no fighting major on Getzlaf. Wonder if league even takes a look at this and has a word with the officials.
In another regrettable performance from referees Frederick L’Ecuyer and Jean Hebert, the first huge mishap was the offsetting double-roughing minors on Vlad Namestnikov and Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf at 14:15 of the first period. As Namestnikov was trying to jam a loose puck in at the left post, Getzlaf bull-rushed him then gave him a little shot with his leg when Namestnikov was down on the ice, then numerous cross-checks once he got up. Namestnikov tried to fight back, never taking his gloves off, and ended up with the much larger Getzlaf on top of him.
“I don’t think Vladdy is looking to fight Getzlaf,” Quinn said. “I guess the instigator fighting rule is just to take up ink in the rule book, apparently.”
2)
Alexandar Georgiev, who hasn’t played a game for the Rangers since his Dec. 1 start in Montreal, was between the pipes in place of Henrik Lundqvist. Georgiev only faced 14 shots but came up big when needed including a point blank save late in the second on Ondrej Kase during a Ducks power play. I am sure Lundqvist, who has been under siege recently, had to look at 15 shots against and wonder why he faces that in a period, let alone a game.
3)
Defense - better but aided by a tired Ducks team, who played Monday night in Pittsburgh. But hard to complain about a contest in which the team allowed just 15 shots. For the most part, much better own zone coverage and cohesiveness between the forwards and blue liners. A major test comes Saturday in Toronto, who ran New York off the ice the last time the two teams met.
4)
Vladislav Namestnikov - tied a career-high with three points. Was the best Ranger on the ice throughout the game. The Vesey-Howden-Nam line was very strong. Howden with a great feed to Nam, who found space between two Ducks to tie the game at 1, 9:52 into the third. Nam’a defensive play shorthanded helped create Kevin Hayes’ breakaway, game-winning tally.
5)
Hayes - besides the game-winner, another solid game from the second line center. So much ink is being and has been written as to whether he should be traded and we are only in December. My view has been well documented. What Larry Brooks wrote today mirrors what I think..
will say this again, too, not for the first time and certainly not the last: The Rangers should not trade Kevin Hayes, whose shorthanded goal with 40 seconds remaining broke a 1-1 tie, unless the impending free agent’s ask on a new contract is completely unrealistic or an interested third party offers a young, first-pair right defenseman (see: Cale Makar, UMass/Colorado) in exchange for No. 13. Both of these hypotheticals are unlikely.
I don’t care whether the team is ready to contend in two years or four. This building process will not be aided by trading the center who has been the team’s best player for the past two years. All teams — even, or perhaps especially, ones in the Rangers’ position — need linchpins.
When you find them, you don’t send them away. You don’t sacrifice your few known quantities for a roll of the dice. That would represent a full measure that would leave me empty.
5)
Road looms - New York plays 26 of their laast 49 games in the road. Away from home hasn’t proved beneficial to the Rangers, who are just 4-9-2 with all their wins coming in the shootout. I would say the road whites haven’t been kind, but after seeing New York wear what used to be the home whites that are now worn in the road at MSG yesterday, it’s clearly not the jersey color that is the problem.
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