Rangers Scratch Out Tough 2-1 Win In Nashville
After a solid showing at MSG last Tuesday against Tampa Bay, the Rangers stormed into Bridgestone Arena in Nashville with their heads held high and confidence through the roof. The good mojo lasted through the game, as the Blueshirts prevailed with a 2-1 win in what was a spirited matchup all afternoon.
Before the game, it was announced that Marc Staal would be a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game and Ryan Lindgren would fill the spot. It was also announced that Mika Zibanejad would be out for his second straight game with an upper body injury.
Chytil and Strome Producing: Filip Chytil gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the first with a beauty of a wrist shot from a 2v1 that came from a turnover from Nashville. Chytil has played exceptionally well in his return from Hartford and seems to have found a different gear in his game, one that the Rangers knew he had.
On the other end, Ryan Strome contributed to his point scoring streak, as he extended it to six games after banking a pass from Artemi Panarin to give New York a 2-0 lead in the second period. Strome has netted four goals and five assists during this point scoring streak and has given the Rangers a nice boost with the absence of Mika Zibanejad.
Georgiev Steals The Show: In his second straight start, Alexandar Georgiev was stellar in net. In his quest to ease the burden off of Henrik Lundqvist, Georgiev made a number of solid saves in the win. Along with a solid defensive effort against a strong offensive Predators club, Georgiev made 32 saves in what was his best performance so far.
Rangers Defending, Kreider Pushing and Kakko Trying: Although he didn’t score, Chris Kreider was all over the ice, in a good way. Being visible along with being on the ice for the Chytil goal, Kreider was all over Nashville, including hitting the crossbar on a breakaway. Kaapo Kakko was also stellar, including a half break attempt where he used his body and strength to shield the defenseman to create a strong chance on net. It seems as if he’s slowly becoming more comfortable in his game, and it’s beginning to seep out on the ice. The Rangers as a whole, with the exception of a few penalties here and there, played a strong team game against a prominent Nashville offense. All of the young defenseman, including Lindgren, Fox and Hajek were impressive as well.
Micheal Haley Fighting: Micheal Haley once again engaged in a scrap, this time with Austin Watson of Nashville. Last Tuesday, he engaged in fisticuffs with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Patrick Maroon, and it seemed to have energized the team, as their compete level was high all night. That seemed to be the case in this game, as Haley took down Watson and the team’s energy was high all throughout the game.
Next Game: The Rangers return home to the friendly confines of MSG for a contest with the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. Puck drops at 7!
LETS GO RANGERS!!
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