Rangers unload on Penguins, crush division leaders (NYR 5 v PIT 0)
Last night, the Blueshirts put together their best game of the season coming off their worst one. After the Rangers lost to the Oilers, Henrik Lundqvist shut the door and talked about being the team they need to be.
RANGERS 5 vs. PENGUINS 0
No one expected the Rangers to walk over the Penguins last night, let alone win after their horrendous performance at home against Edmonton. Maybe it was the goal line saving play by Tanner Glass, or the return of John Moore – who played a sparkling 21:49 of great hockey, or maybe it was Lundqvist being – well, Lundqvist.
Actually, what it was started in the locker room after Edmonton and carried over against Pittsburgh – commitment. To a man, the Rangers dedicated themselves to playing fast and hard for a full 60 minutes. The results were noticeable to the veterans on hand and everyone else.
“We knew that to be able to compete against a team like Pittsburgh, who are on top of their game, we needed a total team effort,” head coach Alain Vigneault told the media. A total team effort is what he got as he rolled 4 lines and 3 pairings on D throughout the game.
Here’s an odd number for you, Tanner Glass played more than Chris Kreider. No, your eyes aren’t going buggy, it’s true. He played 14:46 to Kreider’s 13:45. As a matter of fact, only 6 other forwards registered more ice time. For the ice time, AV was rewarded with a game saving play, where he swept a sure goal away from the line, ala Hunwick. In addition to that he registered a walloping and team leading 6 hits with 4 shots on goal. Notice, when put on the right line with Dominic Moore and Jesper Fast he can contribute.
The Rangers rattled the Penguins in the first period on goals from, Mats Zuccarello, Marty St. Louis and Kevin Klein. NY would seal the deal on special teams with a PP goal from Brassard in the second and a shorthanded marker by Nash in the third (NY’s first of the year).
Marc Staal used the term “wake up call” after Edmonton. He told reporters afterwards, “Not one guy in this room was happy or was going to accept the way we played. We wanted to respond.” The response led the hottest player in the game Sidney Crosby to admit how badly his team was outplayed.
Henrik Lundqvist who notched his 53rd career shutout admitted, “I didn’t feel safe after 4-0, to be honest with you.” Funny, but watching him play last night, I felt like a baby in mommy’s arms.
Notes:
INFOGRAPHIC: More on tonight’s #NYR win @thegarden with our graphic and postgame notes: https://t.co/OZiNdXVp3R pic.twitter.com/vKWqQHVXnk
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 12, 2014
Rick Nash scores league-high 12th goal, and adds two assists, to earn the #NYR Broadway Hat tonight #Nashty
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 12, 2014
Stepan on collision with Kreider: “I think I won that one. I was feeling it. It was like he punched me in the gut. But I win.” — Rangers Report (@rangersreport) November 12, 2014
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