Rangers show royal resolve and trump Kings in LA (NYR 4 v. LAK 3)

Anthony Scultore Updated: Jan 9, 2015

Rick Nash (61) and Dan Boyle (22) celebrate Marty St. Louis' goal (Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

The New York Rangers found themselves in an early 2-0 hole. Last season against the Kings in the Stanley Cup Final, that was a death sentence. This year however, the Rangers are growing their own hard shell and may be too hard to kill come June.

RANGERS 4 vs. KINGS 3

Cam Talbot got the call last night in the second game of a back to back. The opening period wasn’t promising as he let in two Kings goals in just a span of 1:37 seconds.

Tanner Pearson got the Kings on the board when Dan Girardi inexplicably left his feet to block a behind the goal line pass. That was followed by a Justin Williams blast that he lost his angle on and he would’ve liked back. Cam settled in soon after and the Rangers got to work.

First it was Dan Boyle on the power play. It’s Dan’s 3rd goal on the man advantage this season and something that was sorely missing from the point last year. It cut the gap to one heading into the second period and set the stage for one of the most dominant periods by the Blueshirts during this stretch.

In the matter of 19 seconds, NY would erase the deficit and take the lead. The two “quick” strikes came off the sticks of unlikely heroes, Kevin Klein and Lee Stempniak. Klein is having an incredible season and is thriving on Broadway with his career high (and counting) 8th goal of the year.

Martin St. Louis would score a beauty on the power play to increase the lead to 4-2. However, it was the down low work of defenseman Dan Boyle that made it happen as he notched the primary assist.

Although Justin Williams would score to make it a one goal game with under 5 minutes to play in the third, the Rangers held on and got the two points.

Cam Talbot called this game a “measuring stick” and Dan Boyle said, it was “just a real good team effort over all got us through.” The Rangers have now won 12 of their last 13 games and in actuality, teams are starting to measure themselves to them.

NOTES

Rangers 8-2-3 vs. West, 6-1 vs. Pacific.

— Rangers Report (@rangersreport) January 9, 2015

I reiterate, Dan Boyle just brings a whole new dynamic to this offense

— FullTilt Rangers (@NYR_FullTilt) January 9, 2015

Rangers haven’t won 12 of 13 since 1973. That was a pretty good team.

— Rangers Report (@rangersreport) January 9, 2015

#NYR @Realkevinklein8 is the only NHL dman with at least 8 goals, 3 GWG, 2 OT goals & post a plus/minus rating of +15 or better this season.

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