Bruins beat down Rangers in Beantown

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As the Rangers head into the final six games of their 2018-19 regular season, they will be looking to find some bright spots, maybe even some wins, as the campaign comes to a close. Much like Monday night’s loss to the Penguins, the Rangers got off to a decent start before the opponents took over the game. A hat trick from David Pastrnak led the way for the Boston natives, who put six pucks behind Henrik Lundqvist.

Mika Zibanejad – The biggest bright spot in this game, and quite arguably this season, was the play of the Swedish center. Zibanejad scored a pair of power play goals for the Rangers as he recorded his team leading 30th tally of the year.

Zibanejad’s first goal was a thing of beauty, as he finished off the rush and beating Jaroslav Halak.

For an encore, Zibanejad put the loose puck into the net with four seconds left for goal number 30 of the season.

This season, Mika Zibanejad has proven not only to the fans but to the organization that he is the team’s number one center going forward, and that he is a piece to build around. Zibanejad has recorded 70 points on a team that has been at the bottom of the standings for a majority of the season. Put some talented people around him, and that 70 points could turn into 90 points real fast.

Ryan Strome – Another point of pride for the Rangers would be the deal that saw them acquire Ryan Strome back in November. Strome recorded his 15th goal with the Blueshirts in this one as he found the rebound and put it behind Halak to get his team within one.

Strome has become a veteran presence within this group of young Rangers, and there is no doubt he’ll be a part of the team’s future plans.

Too Many Men, Too Many Times – After the early season struggles with counting to five, it seems as though the Rangers have forgotten once again that six is more than five. The Rangers were penalized twice for having too many players on the ice, and both resulted in goals for the Bruins. For as good a job Daivd Quinn has done this season, he will need to figure this out.

Lias Andersson – When the Bruins weren’t busy putting the puck behind Henrik Lundqvist, they focused their attention on Rangers rookie Lias Andersson. The young Swede had a, shall we say, innocent but questionable looking collision with Patrice Bergeron in the corner that initially saw the veteran Bergeron go after Andersson.

Then, with under two minutes to go in the contest, David Backes decided to “send a message” to the 20-year-old by crosschecking him numerous times and starting a ten-man scrum.

As The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello correctly points out, last night’s activities wont deter Andersson from playing the way he does. If Andersson can continue to develop his offensive game while keeping that fire he’s known to play with, he will become a very solid player for the Blueshirts.

Henrik Lundqvist – Aside from King Henrik making a superb sprawling stick save in the first period, it was a night to forget for the Rangers netminder. The Bruins put six pucks behind the Swede, one or two of which he may want back. Lundqvist has been a trooper this season as he remains committed to the organization’s rebuild.

Next Game: The Rangers are back in action on Friday night as they host the St. Louis Blues at The Garden. Puck drops at7!

LETS GO RANGERS!!

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