3 Rangers takeaways from 3-2 preseason win against Bruins
The New York Rangers skated to a 3-2 win Sunday against the Boston Bruins in their first of six preseason games. While there were only a handful of Ranger regulars in the lineup, there was still plenty to take away from the victory.
New York gave up an early goal to the Bruins, but bounced back with two of their own. First, defenseman Victor Mancini tied it up with a goal directly after the Rangers killed off a 5-on-3 penalty. Shortly after, Filip Chytil made it 2-1 with a power-play goal, his first goal since the 2022-23 season, scored in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New Jersey Devils.
Boston tied the game in the middle frame, when they dominated play. The Rangers, however, were the better team in the third. Alex Belzile scored the go-ahead-goal to give New York a 3-2 lead, which is all it took for the Rangers to secure the win.
Both Louis Domingue and Dylan Garand were solid in between the pipes for New York. The veteran and rookie split the game, letting up one goal each.
The Rangers will be back in action on Tuesday when they host the New York Islanders for game 2 of the preseason. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden.
Related: Rangers make first cuts of training camp, trim roster to 48
3 takeaways from Rangers vs. Bruins preseason game
Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Rangers 3-2 win in their first preseason matchup against the Bruins on Sunday.
Filip Chytil is full-go, dominates in first preseason game
If there was any question as to Chytil’s health coming into this season, there shouldn’t be after his first preseason performance. Chytil dominated in all three zones in this one. Of course, seeing him score was great, but even better was the fact that he was taking contact with no issue. He took a couple of big hits in the first period and bounced right back. A great sign following a major setback with another head injury last season that limited him to 16 games (10 regular season, six postseason). So far, so good.
His goal was pretty sweet, though. When he got the puck with time and room on the power play, he made no mistake of labeling it for the top corner from the right circle. The 25-year-old center showed confidence with the puck all night, and never hesitated to get a shot on goal.
Whether it was rushing end-to-end with the puck on his stick, or coming back to make the defensive play in his own zone, Chytil looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. He was also responsible for the majority of the game-winning goal from Belzile, when he weaved through Bruins defenders before dishing it over to Belzile for the goal.
If he can carry this into the regular season, the Rangers will have immense depth at the center position with Chytil, Mika Zibanejad, and Vincent Trocheck. Chytil centered Kaapo Kakko and Will Cuylle on Sunday, which will likely be New York’s third line to start the regular season. They certainly looked good in their first game action.
Victor Mancini stands out, could shake up competition on defense
Preseason is all about making a statement, especially if you are a young player looking to move up the depth chart. In the first game of the preseason, Mancini did just that. The 2022 fifth-round pick opened eyes with a goal and an assist, and just an overall solid game. He played a great defensive game as well, and was a major contributor on both the power play and penalty kill.
Mancini showed his ability to join the rush on his goal, and take advantage of a puck that came to him on a platter. The 22-year-old right-shot still had to place it, though, and did so with a rifle of a shot from the point. He complimented this with a very solid defensive game, and wasn’t afraid to lay a hit in what was a very physical preseason match-up.
The race for the sixth and seventh spots on defense was considered to be between Zac Jones and Chad Ruhwedel, with Matthew Robertson and veterans Ben Harpur and Connor Mackey also in the hunt. After his performance Sunday, go ahead and add Mancini to the mix as well. If the goal was to make a statement, he did, without question.
Brennan Othmann ramps up physical game
Playing alongside Jimmy Vesey and Jonny Brodzinski, Brennan Othmann got a chance to see what it was like paired with NHL players. While it likely wasn’t the offensive night that Othmann had hoped for, he did excel by being a physical presence all over the ice. The 21-year-old got his hits in early and often, and delivered two crushing blows to Bruins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.
If there weren’t enough Othmann comparisons to Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuck, this game only further reinforced the idea. Othmann even dropped the gloves with Wotherspoon, though fighting may not yet be his strong suit just yet. Although Othmann didn’t chip in on the score sheet, but he made an impact on the game.
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