Rangers Tame Panthers 4-2, as Lundqvist climbs all-time wins ladder

Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke

Hear ye! Hear ye! Will all of King Henrik’s men arise and march into Madison Square Garden and conquer the dreaded Panthers back to the territory of Florida? Why, yes!

The Rangers were successful in this endeavor, as they topped the high scoring Panthers 4-2, netting their fifth straight home win. There were many positive things to take note of in this game, so lets get to the recap.

Strome Makes Rangers Debut: Traded to the Blueshirts by Edmonton on Friday, Strome made it just in time to make his Rangers debut. Donning the number 16, Strome before the game said that “I can’t wait to put my best foot forward and do everything I can to make my time in New York great.”

In his first go around as a Ranger at MSG, Strome did not register a point but threw four hits and one takeaway.

Chytil Shines, Kreider Snipes: Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider were incredibly noticeable on the ice for the Rangers last night. Chytil, with his goal in the first period, became the only teenager in Rangers franchise history to score in three consecutive games. Chytil has become more confident in his game and now his efforts are starting to show results.

On the older side, Chris Kreider continues to lead this team, as he notched three points. Those three points were two assists, along with a beauty of a power play goal, which consisted of him speeding down the wing and shooting it bar down, blocker side on Roberto Luongo. Both players contributed to a solid night of hockey for the Rangers.

Vlad Gets One The Strange Way, Smith Emerges, Again: Vladislav Namestnikov is slowly but surely regaining his form that made the Rangers pick him up from Tampa Bay. Everything seems to be going right, including the goal he scored last night. In front of Luongo in the second period, Namestnikov, after getting a nice pass from Zibanejad,  shoots a puck that bounced up and over Bobby Lou and somehow managed to trickle it’s way into the net. After a review, the refs deemed it a good goal, even though from the camera angles we were able to see, you could not see the puck cross, as Luongo was covering it.

On the flip side, Brendan Smith returned to action as defenseman Brady Skjei was a healthy scratch. Smith made himself known as he had himself a decent game defensively, along with a rocket of a snipe to tie the game at two in the first period. It seems to me that whenever Smith messes up and is taken out of action, he tends to respond appropriately with a solid return effort. If his game can be consistent, where efforts like this come night in and night out, he may end up getting off the chopping block.

King Henrik, Move On Up! Originally slated to sit this one out, Henrik Lundqvist started last night against the Panthers after being pulled at the start of the third period of his last outing against the Islanders. This decision paid off for David Quinn, as Lundqvist was his usual stellar self, making 39 saves on 41 shots. This win places Henrik in seventh place on the NHL’s All Time Wins list, passing Hall Of Famer Jacques Plante. Another notch on his belt, another win, another step closer to the inevitable; Henrik Lundqvist, Hall Of Fame Goaltender.

Brooksie Saluted By Rangerstown: Longtime NY Post Rangers beat reporter Larry Brooks was saluted at MSG during the game after receiving this year’s Elmer Ferguson Award from the Hockey Hall Of Fame. A well deserved honor from someone who has covered the game for many years. Congrats, Brooksie.

Next Game: The Rangers will try and make it six wins in a row at MSG on Monday night when they host the Dallas Stars. Puck drops at 7!

LETS GO RANGERS!