Rangers lie in wait, strike like a viper for 3 in 77 seconds against unsuspecting Blue Jackets

Anthony Scultore Updated: Oct 10, 2015

Brass, Girardi and Zuc celebrate comeback win (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

It was just one of those games. The Columbus Blue Jackets decided the best way to beat the Rangers was to hit them hard and hit them often…it almost worked…almost.

The game was feisty and it was due in large part to the Blue Jackets trying to hit everything in a Rangers sweater, even after the whistle. Mats Zuccarello would score late in the first period to give the Rangers the lead on a play that would foreshadow the ending.

#ZUUUUUUUUUUCC!!!! pic.twitter.com/r8yzm77O6w

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 9, 2015

Zuccarello quickly stole the puck and whipped a backhand past an unsuspecting Sergei Bobrovsky. Keyword here is unsuspecting. That’s because as the game progressed and the Blue Jackets were running around hard and at times wild, you could just tell the Rangers like a snake were lying in wait to pounce and kill their prey.

Then it happened at a time the Blue Jackets and their fans would least expect it. After celebrating a PP goal by newly acquired superstar Brandon Saad late in the third period, the Rangers caught their victims napping and struck 3 consecutive times in 77 seconds for the win.

The equalizer came 1:14 seconds after Saad’s goal celebration off a great play by the Rangers leading scorer J.T. Miller (3A for 3PTS). Once again it was Oscar Lindberg doing the Lindy Shuffle.

Lindberg’s goal that tied it at 2! #NYR pic.twitter.com/0TjqxMswj0 — New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 10, 2015

Then the game winner off a great pinch by Dan Girardi to chip the puck to Kevin Hayes who caught an unsuspecting Bobrovsky for the game winner. Yes, there’s that word again.

17 seconds later @KevinPHayes12 gave #NYR the lead! pic.twitter.com/HowVp9htxL

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 10, 2015

And in a perfect bookend, Mats Zuccarello closed out the scoring.

1 minute after that #NYR added another! @zuccarello36‘s 2nd goal of the game! pic.twitter.com/ahaQITWrxn — New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 10, 2015

After the game, a very happy and light hearted Zuccarello told reporters that he got “smoked” a few times in the game and that scoring 2 times “doesn’t happen very often”. Of course, getting hit got the “Hobbit” going. Per the NYDN:

“It gets you into the game, a start like that. You wake up a little and get going. That’s hockey. We just stick with it and grind. I think it’s a big win for us. We got a lucky bounce at the end, but hard work pays off.”

Not to be lost in this win is the absolute sharp play of Henrik Lundqvist who was simply “Hanktastic” again. If Henrik is already in mid-season form, the whole league should be put on notice. Also, Alain Vigneault earned his 100th win as the Rangers head coach. What is notable is that he is the fastest to 100 of all 10 NYR coaches to earn that many wins behind the bench.

The NYR will face the Blue Jackets to open up their 2015-2016 home campaign. Face-off is set for 7:00PM.

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