3 Rangers takeaways after solid effort produces 3-2 overtime win against Devils
The New York Rangers who played against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night looked much more like the team that began the season 12-4-1, rather than the one that was 6-16-1 in 23 games since mid-November.
The goaltending, with Igor Shesterkin back in net, was solid. The special teams were actually special. The compete level was the best it’s been in weeks. The result was a 3-2 overtime victory in arguably New York’s best performance against a top team this season.
Fourth-liner Sam Carrick was an unlikely choice to score the overtime goal – he came into the game having scored just once since opening night. But he was Johnny, er, Sammy on the spot when Rangers-killer Jack Hughes whiffed on a pass, setting up a 2-on-1 break. Reilly Smith passed, Carrick shot and the sellout crowd roared when the red light went on, giving the Rangers their first victory in three overtime games this season.
“Three-on-three is a different game,” Carrick said after scoring his first career OT goal. “Once we did get the puck then I just tried to chug up the ice and give Smitty an option. He made a great pass.”
One player who said he wasn’t surprised to see Carrick score was Shesterkin, who noted with a smile that, “He always scores a lot on me in practice.”
The Rangers won’t have much time to enjoy the victory. They’ll be on a plane Friday, heading west to begin a three-game trip against the league-leading Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. But they’ll be leaving with seven points in their last five games – and the realization that despite their dreadful slump they are just four points out of a playoff spot.
“Wins always give you confidence,” said forward Artemi Panarin, whose second-period power-play goal tied the game 2-2. “It doesn’t matter (how you) win. Even if you play bad, which we weren’t doing tonight. We were playing great, I think.”
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3 takeaways from Rangers 3-2 overtime win against Devils
Here are three takeaways from the game Thursday.
1. On the upswing
It would have been easy for the Rangers to be down entering the game against New Jersey. Not only were they playing a team that had embarrassed them twice last month, but they were coming into the Garden after kicking away an early 3-0 lead and a late 4-3 advantage in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Instead, it was obvious from the opening face-off that the Rangers were up for the game, something that definitely wasn’t the case when the Devils won 5-0 in Newark on Dec. 23, a game New York managed all of 12 shots.
The domination grew as the game went along. The Rangers had eight of the 13 high-danger chances at even strength after the first period, according to Natural Stat Trick. They outshot New Jersey 25-12 after the opening 20 minutes, and only the play of goaltender Jacob Markstrom in the third period got the Devils a point.
The result was an overtime win that gives the Rangers a 3-1-1 record in their past five games and a 19-20-2 mark at the halfway point of their season – as well as positive feelings as they begin a three-game Western trip against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
“I think we went through a stretch where we were playing some bad hockey and we didn’t deserve to win games,” Smith said. “I think over the last little bit since Christmas we’re doing enough to give ourselves a chance to win every night. Tonight was a great example of that. It was probably one of our better games since the start of the year.”
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2. Igor is back
Not to disparage Jonathan Quick or Louis Domingue, but neither one is in Shesterkin’s league at this stage of his career. Having No. 31 back in the net had to give the Rangers a spark.
Shesterkin wasn’t bombarded with shots, finishing with 21 saves. But he made the big saves when they were needed – most notably on a shorthanded breakaway by Dawson Mercer midway through the third period with the score tied 2-2.
But while Shesterkin played well, he had plenty of help. The 23 shots allowed were the fewest by any opponent since the Seattle Kraken had 22 (but scored on seven of them) on Dec. 8.
“That was good, ‘Shesty’ coming back in,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “But the guys in front of him played well, too.”
3. Special teams live up to their name
The Rangers haven’t gotten much from their special teams recently. The power play entered the night 1-for-32 in the previous 12 games; the penalty kill had allowed nine goals in 21 tries in the past seven games.
That’s not a formula for success when your team has lived off special teams and goaltending for the past few seasons. But on Thursday, the special teams really were special.
The power play scored on its first two opportunities and finished 2-for-3 – it’s first multiple-goal game since Nov. 30. The penalty kill was perfect in four opportunities after allowing three goals on four chances to the Devils in their last meeting on Dec. 23 — and had a couple of Grade A shorthanded chances.
Defenseman Adam Fox, who had just one goal (an empty-netter) in New York’s first 40 games, scored the first power-play goal on a straightaway blast and assisted on the second, looked much more like one of the NHL’s best defensemen than he had in weeks. When Fox is at his best, knowing when to shoot and when to pass, the Rangers have one of the NHL’s most dangerous power plays.
“We talked about it before the game, how special teams can 100 percent make a difference inside a hockey game,” Laviolette said. “The power play does its job, and the penalty kill goes out and does its job. If you’re successful on both, your chances of winning the game go up drastically.”
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