Rangers rookie Gabe Perreault ‘more comfortable,’ stars with 3-point game
The New York Rangers took home more than just a meaningless point from their 5-4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on Monday. The Blueshirts also got another positive performance from a player they hope will be a cornerstone of their “retool.”
The Rangers overcame a four-goal deficit in the third period to send the game to overtime largely thanks to 20-year-old forward Gabe Perreault, their most promising young player. He’s getting the chance to show what he can do during the final weeks of a lost season, with the NHL Trade Deadline approaching on Friday.
Perreault showed plenty against the Blue Jackets with two goals and an assist before Kirill Marchenko’s goal 1:04 into OT spoiled the Rangers’ chances of winning a game after trailing by four goals in the third period for the first time in their 100-year history.
“I’m getting more comfortable every game,” said Perreault, who was named the game’s Second Star. “I feel I’ve been getting a lot of chances the last couple of games, and it feels good to get a couple of go in. But it sucks to come up short after that big a comeback in the third (period).”
It was his second straight impact game. Perreault ultimately led the Rangers with seven scoring chances, six high-danger chances and five rebound attempts, per Natural Stat Trick, in their 3-2 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
“He’s still learning on the job, so to speak,” coach Mike Sullivan said after that win. “So some of his skill set is still really raw, but everybody can see what he’s capable of.”
Perreault looks quite comfortable playing on a top-six line with veterans J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad.
“He’s got elite skill; that’s why he is who he is,” Miller said postgame Monday. “He’s really like a sponge out there, and I think me, him and Mika have had some nice chemistry over the last little while.”
The lack of size (he’s listed at 5-10 and 180 pounds) and speed are the biggest reasons The Athletic’s rankings of under-23 players put Perreault at No. 120, with the likelihood that he’ll be a middle-six forward. However, his skill and hockey smarts are likely the biggest reason The Hockey News lists him at No. 28 among its top 100 NHL prospects.
“I feel like every game I’m more and more comfortable,” said Perreault, who has five goals and 11 points in 27 games this season. “J.T. and Mika have done a great job helping me and mentoring me and making me feel confident. I think we’ve been starting to build some chemistry. It’s been really good playing with those guys.”
Gabe Perreault showing why Rangers made him first-round pick
The son of longtime NHL center Yanic Perreault forced a turnover by Columbus defenseman Denton Mateychuk and turned it into a goal 54 seconds into the third period, just 24 seconds after Vladislav Gavrikov scored to get the Rangers on the board.
Perreault then had the primary assist on Will Borgen’s pinball goal at 12:52 that made it 4-3, The two exchanged roles a couple of minutes later, with Borgen setting up Perreault for a quick shot from the slot that beat Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. He nearly became an overtime hero, but his shot from the slot was tipped over the net by Columbus’ Adam Fantilli.
Still, Perreault’s two-goal, one-assist showing made him the first Rangers player with a three-point period at age 20 or younger since Dec. 26, 1993, when Alexei Kovalev did it. He also became the first Rangers rookie to post three points in a period since Kim Johnsson on March 19, 2000.
Perreault is also one of nine NHL rookies with two or more multiple-goal games this season.
“I think those little details on my game – on the forecheck and wall play, little things like that, — (are) what I’ve been trying to improve on,” he explained, “and I think I’ve been generating more and more chances each game. I’m feeling more confident each game and learning from other guys and watching video, little things like that.”
Sullivan certainly has taken notice.
“I think his confidence is growing,” the coach said Monday. “He’s hanging on to pucks more. He really sees it. He makes some pretty good plays where you don’t think he sees people. He made like a spin-a-rama play to Mika in the slot – that’s a high-end play. I do think his confidence is growing.
“He obviously had a strong game tonight – he scored a couple of goals; that should help him with his confidence. I bumped him up in the overtime with Vince (Trocheck) because I thought he was playing pretty good and I thought he was deserving.”
The Rangers have one of the weakest prospect pools in the NHL and missed big on some high picks in the past decade. They desperately need for Perreault to get stronger and quicker as he gets into his 20s; doing so would enable his skills ands smarts to come to the fore even more.
“I wouldn’t say he’s the fastest or the strongest or the biggest,” Miller said. “But he’s really quick to pucks and has a great stick, and his hockey brain really helps him a lot.”
