New York Rangers Daily: Lots to like for Blueshirts; Sidney Crosby injury concern for Penguins
Maybe it’s the turning of the tide. Perhaps it was facing a tired team playing on a back to back. No matter which — or both — that was a big win for the New York Rangers on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Against a team that defeated them 6-3 just four days prior and began Wednesday six points ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings, the Rangers found a way to erase a third-period deficit and knock off the Boston Bruins 3-2.
Talk about four-point swings. A regulation loss and the Rangers would’ve woken up Thursday eight points behind the Bruins, who would have been in the top wild-card spot. Instead, the Rangers are four points behind the Bruins, who remain ninth in the conference. Plus the Rangers have three games in hand on the Bruins, and won the season series 2-1-0.
You can make the case that the Bruins have a harder road to make the playoffs than the Rangers even though they’re ahead of them in the standings. That said, the win also lifted the Rangers into 12th in the East, since the Montreal Canadiens also lost Wednesday, just four points out of the second wild card.
The stars came through — Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider each scored, Kreider netting the winner on a short-handed rush with the rejuvenated Mika Zibanejad, who had two assists. But this was a good team win, with strong contributions from Matte Rempe, K’Andre Miller, Zac Jones, Jimmy Vesey, Will Cuylle and up and down the lineup.
Thursday is a day off. And then two winnable games against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday and at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday await before the 4 Nations break.
Click HERE to receive 20 percent off when you shop at Forever Blueshirts store
New York Rangers news
The return of the Comeback Kids highlights our three Rangers takeaways from the 3-2 win Wednesday.
If Zibanejad remains on the wing, the Rangers likely need a third-line center ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, and perhaps another bottom 6 piece. Our Tom Castro breaks down some of the options there for the Rangers.
Will Cuylle’s offensive production has dropped off considerably for the Rangers, but coach Peter Laviolette explained why he wasn’t concerned about that.
Though they were 0-for-3 Wednesday, the Rangers power play has looked better following the J.T. Miller trade, with Miller making “a real positive impact.”
Alan Selavka files his weekly Rangers NCAA prospects report, featuring a pair of collegiate defenseman scoring their first goals of the season.
NHL news
Less than a week after acquiring Marcus Pettersson from the Penguins (for a package that included the Rangers protected first-round pick in 2025), the Vancouver Canucks signed the defenseman to a six-year, $33 million contract.
Sidney Crosby didn’t practice for the Penguins on Wednesday and is being evaluated for an upper-body injury.
The Minnesota Wild claimed forward Vinnie Hinostroza off waivers from the Nashville Predators.
Wild forward Ryan Hartman is appealing his 10-game suspension for roughing Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle.
Kevin Fiala scored two third-period goals to lead the Kings past the Canadiens 6-3.
Jason Dickinson was helped off the ice after getting tangled up with another player in the second period of the Chicago Blackhawks game against the Edmonton Oilers. There’s no update yet on his injury.
The Blackhawks also lost the game, 4-3 in overtime to the Oilers.
Watch Zach Hyman bury the OT winner off a great feed by Connor McDavid.
More About:New York Rangers News