Quick Hits – Rangers vs Red Wings 1/22/17

Jan 22, 2017

Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images


Here is my Quick Hits recap of the Rangers 1-0 win over the Red Wings

  • Mats Zuccarello – It has been an interesting stretch for the Rangers diminutive winger. He has not scored a goal since December 15th, but he has been racking up the assists. And this game was no different. Zuccarello was unable to score on his only shot of the game, aside from the opportunity he passed up, but he picked up the assist on the game winning goal. I am not concerned at all about the lack of goals coming from #36, as long as he keeps piling up the points. If he ends the season with around 60 points, and 75% of them are assists, I don’t think anybody would complain.

  • Kevin Hayes – Up until the end of the second period, the best player in the red, white and blue was Kevin Hayes. But in his last shift of the period, Hayes appeared to be in a knee on knee collision with a Red Wings player. Hopefully it is nothing serious, but there is no harm in sitting him for the next two games before the All Star break, so that he can recover as much as possible.

  • JT Miller – Miller was deserving of the GWG in this one. He was flying throughout the entire game, and toward the end of the third period, kept a 1v2 board battle going while the Rangers were trying to complete a line change. He has been quietly picking up the points, and his presence on the wing with Hayes and Grabner gives that line a tremendous dynamic of speed and skill.

  • Ryan McDonagh – The Rangers captain made the small plays that showed why he was selected to his second consecutive NHL All-Star Game. He was in good defensive position all game, was batting pucks out of mid air, and making a good first pass out of the zone. He will be this team’s captain for a long time, and he is setting a good example for his younger teammates on the back end.
  • Team Defense – This was another good defensive performance by the Blueshirts. The forwards made sure to come back and play a full 200 foot game. The defenseman kept their mistakes to a minimum, and made sure to take the man in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Dan Girardi had one of his better games of the season, with a hit and five blocked shots. They have really focused on simplifying their defensive game, and these last two games have shown what it can do.

  • Henrik Lundqvist – It was another solid game for Henrik Lundqvist, as he looks to get out of his funk over the last few weeks. He played well against the Maple Leafs on Thursday, and was a perfect 21/21 to backstop the Rangers victory in Detroit. He made the timely saves when called upon, and did a real good job containing the quick strike offense of the Red Wings. He should be in net for the games on Monday and Wednesday before the All-Star break, and that should give him the boost to finish the regular season strong.

    • NEXT GAME: The Rangers are right back at it on Monday night when they take on the LA Kings. Puck drops at 7!

    LETS GO RANGERS!

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