Quick Hits – Rangers vs Islanders 9/18/17 (Preseason)

Sep 18, 2017

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Here is my Quick Hits recap of the Rangers 1-0 overtime win over the Islanders.

JT Miller – The Rangers newest center proved himself worthy of playing in the middle. He was a whopping 71% on faceoffs, including going 6-6 in the defensive zone, and had four shots on net. While the competition in the circle isn’t what he will be facing during the season, 71% is nothing to take lightly.

Lias Andersson – The Rangers first pick in the 2017 NHL draft was noticeable on the ice all night. He made a couple of slick plays down in the corners, showed off his quick release late in the third on a screened shot, and was 64% on faceoffs. AV has said that both Andersson and Filip Chytil, the Rangers’ other first-round pick, will be getting a long look during training camp. Andersson showed tonight why he warrants that look.

Anthony DeAngelo – As the player traded for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, DeAngelo was going to have a lot of attention placed on him. And in this one, he handled it fairly well. He made a couple of defensive mistakes, but he was one of the best Rangers overall. He had a takeaway, a blocked shot, which was followed up by tying up Steve Bernier in front of the net, and four shots on net. DeAngelo was noticeable, as you can see, and if he keeps up this level of play, he may beat out Nick Holden for the sixth spot on the blue line.

“It was a really special feeling…I’m just trying to pinch myself to make sure it’s real.” – Neal Pionk

Neal Pionk – Perhaps the best player all night, the Rangers NCAA free agent signing was the difference maker in this one. But it wasn’t just his OT heroics that made Pionk stand out, he was solid for all 60+ minutes. He made three blocks, had four shots on net, a hit, and one takeaway. Much like DeAngelo, if Pionk continues to impress, he will give AV a lot to think about when the calendar turns to October.

‪NEAL PIONK FOR THE WIN!!! #NYR ‬

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“He was good in his decision making with the puck and we’ll see where it goes from here.” – AV on Pionk

Ondrej Pavelec – Henrik Lundqvist’s newest understudy was solid in his 40 minutes of work. One puck did get past him, but it was called off because of matching penalties to Lias Andersson and Scott Mayfield. His positioning was solid, and it will only get better with the help of Rangers goaltending guru Benoit Allaire.

Pionk’s goal was so nice, we’ll show you twice.

NEXT GAME: The Rangers continue the preseason on Wednesday night against the Devils. Puck drops at 7!

LETS GO RANGERS!!

 

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