Perreault hat trick backs Quick in Rangers 4-1 win over Detroit: Takeaways
The Rangers got a big game from the NHL’s oldest goalie, Jonathan Quick, and the first NHL hat trick from 20-year-old rookie forward Gabe Perreault in a a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday at Madison Square Garden — damaging their Original Six rival’s hopes of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the process.
Quick, who entered the game with a 5-16-2 record, earned his 410th NHL win, 12th in League history. It was just his third victory in his past 18 decisions after a 3-1-0 start. But on this day, the 40-year-old looked like the future Hall of Famer who led the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014 — including three wins in the ’14 Final against the Rangers.
Though Quick won’t say if he’s going to retire after this season, Saturday’s performance would be a wonderful way to cap to a career that should see him enter the Hall in a few years. He finished with 31 saves — making 30 of them before losing a bid for his 66th NHL shutout when David Perron scored with 32.1 seconds remaining.
Meanwhile, Perreault had the kind of game the Rangers dreamed off when they picked him in the first round (No. 23 overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. After Jaroslav Chmelar opened the scoring with a nifty deflection at 13:19 of the first period. Perreault scored late in the second period on a feed by Mika Zibanejad, added a power-play goal 7:13 into the third period and completed the hat trick by scoring into an empty net with 1:44 remaining.
A number of teams should send the Rangers a thank-you card after the victory. The regulation loss by the Wings clinched Stanley Cup Playoff berths for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres. Detroit failed to gain ground in the six-team scramble for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They are one of four teams who entered Saturday with 88 points.
“We played a desperate hockey team,” captain J.T. Miller said. “They’re fighting for their lives. I think we should feel really good about the way we played.”
The Rangers won’t be going to the playoffs, but they did improve to 3-2-0 on a seven-game homestand that continues Sunday when the Washington Capitals come to MSG.
New York hosts the Sabres on Tuesday in its final home game of the season before finishing with visits to Dallas, Florida and Tampa Bay.
The first 10-12 minutes were about as exciting as watching ice melt. The Blueshirts did nothing with the game’s first power play after (briefly) ex-Ranger Andrew Copp was called for interference at 3:54, and neither Quick nor Detroit’s John Gibson was severely tested.
The Rangers got on the board first at 13:19 thanks to nice plays by a couple of their kids. Adam Sykora came out of a battle in the right corner with the puck and found Vladislav Garvrikov for a straightaway slap shot. Chmelar came out of the corner and got to the front of the net just in time to tip the shot past Gibson for a 1-0 lead.
The rest of the period belonged to Quick. He made a terrific stop on Emmitt Finnie less than a minute after the goal and denied Marco Kasper on the rebound. No. 32 helped the Rangers kill off J.T. Miller’s interference penalty at 15:13, then capped the period with a terrific pad stop on Perron, who wound up alone in front of the net.
That enabled the Rangers to take a lead into the locker room after the first period for just the eighth time in their 39 home games, the fewest in the NHL.
Gibson kept the Wings within a goal early in the second period when he robbed Miller, getting his glove up to catch the Rangers’ captain’s backhander. But his teammates rarely threatened Quick, who faced just six shots in the middle period and only 14 through 40 minutes.
The Rangers gave their goaltender a two-goal cushion at 15:59 when Perreault took a perfect cross-seam pass in the lower left circle and snapped it past Gibson.
Matthew Robertson carried the puck down the left side and fed Zibanejad. New York’s top point-getter wasted no time finding Perreault, who was wide open and scored his first goal in 12 games.
Perreault nearly had another one early in the third period, but Gibson robbed him at the right post. Quick got some help shortly after when Zibanejad cleared a loose puck from the crease after a save.
But the son of former NHL center Yanic Perreault did get his second of the game during the Rangers’ second power play of the afternoon. Detroit’s Ben Chiarot got a high-sticking penalty before he and New York’s Will Cuylle squared off. Jonny Brodzinski’s perfect pass across the top of the crease set up an easy tap-in for a 3-0 lead.
The Red Wings stepped up the pressure and pulled the goaltender when Noah Laba went off for high-sticking at 14:15. But the Rangers survived the storm before Perreault’s empty-netter completed the hat trick and sealed the win.
The one thing the empty-netter couldn’t seal was a shutout for Quick. Perron found an open spot in front of Quick and snapped home Finnie’s pass to deflate the 17,292 fans — at least a little.
Key takeaways after Rangers top Red Wings 4-1
Going-away party for Quick?
Quick won’t say whether he plans to retire after this season. Even with Saturday’s win, he’s still 6-16-2 with a 3.09 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. There’s no word if he’ll even get a start in the Blueshirts’ last five games — Igor Shesterkin is still the unquestioned starter, and recent callup Dylan Garand is 1-0-1 and allowed three goals in his two starts.
For now, the game’s First Star said he’s taking it day by day.
“We got six games left, five games left, something like that,” he said. “I just want to enjoy the ride the rest of the way these last five, six games and figure that out when it’s time.”
Hats off to Gabe
The Rangers have high hopes for Perreault, the best forward prospect in the organization by far. He’s got the smarts and skills to succeed in the NHL, though he needs to get stronger and faster to grow into the player they hope he can become.
“Means a lot,” Perreault said of his hat trick. “Teammates made some nice plays, so had a couple of easy ones tonight. But it definitely feels good to get the hat trick, but most importantly, get the win.”
The way he played Saturday had to bring smiles to GM Chris Drury and coach Mike Sullivan. He showed a quick release, the ability to find dead spots in the defensive coverage and the ability to finish when he gets the opportunity.
“He’s becoming a great player right in front of us,” Miller said after Perreault reached double figures in goals. The captain could have put the puck in the empty net himself, but he opted to give the puck to the rookie for the hat trick.
Perreault became the fourth Rangers rookie in the past 30 years to have a hat trick, joining Chris Kreider (Nov. 30, 2013), Derek Stepan (Oct. 9, 2010, his NHL debut) and Jan Hlavac (Feb. 11, 2000).
Recognizing Howie Rose
No Rangers fan will ever get tired of hearing the call of “Matteau! Matteau!” by Howie Rose when Stephane Matteau’s double-overtime goal in Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Final, when the Rangers defeated the New Jersey Devils before outlasting the Vancouver Canucks for their first Stanley Cup since 1940.
Rose, now 72, then spent two decades calling New York Islanders games on TV and New York Mets game on radio and TV for 40 years. He announced recently that he’s calling it a career after the Mets’ season ends in October.
The Rangers honored him Saturday with a congratulatory message as well as a customized Rangers sweater with a “Rose” nameplate and the No. 94.
He’s called dozens of memorable sports moments, but the “Matteau!” call lives in the hearts of Rangers fan more than three decades later.
