Fans were back at MSG and they were treated to a Garden Party. From the drop of the puck to the closing buzzer, the Rangers looked more alive than they have all season. The result was a 6-2 drubbing of the first place Bruins.
Rangers vs Bruins: A Garden Party for the Faithful
The Rangers (7-8-3) seemed to have an extra hop in their step with around 1800 fans at Madison Square Garden. They played inspired hockey while the Bruins (11-5-2) were looking more to pick fights then play any defense.
New York opened the scoring with a beautiful individual effort by Julien Gauthier whose shot deflected off Phil Di Giuseppe’s screen in front. The Blueshirts saw six different goal scorers in this game and were led by Ryan Strome who picked up three points (1G, 2A).
“We definitely got a bit of a spark, there’s no doubt,” Strome said about the fans return to MSG. “Standing there during the national anthem I had some goose bumps and some energy that I haven’t felt in a long time.”
Chris Kreider remained red-hot for the Rangers with Artemi Panarin out and picked up his 9th goal of the season. He currently has five goals in his last three games. Number one overall pick Alexis Lafreniere played his best game of the season and got the first assist of his career finding Ryan Strome in the second period. A thorough effort by the Rangers.
Alexandar Georgiev’s play in net shouldn’t be lost in this offensive display where the Rangers set a season high for goals in one game. He turned aside 31 of Boston 33 shots and put on a show in the second period with 15 saves. This is now back to back wins for the 24 year-old net minder and another positive sign for the Rangers goaltending turning it around.
David Quinn assess Rangers 6-2 effort in front of fans
“We aren’t ignorant to the fact that [Boston] played last night…that being said, I really liked an awful lot about our game tonight,” David Quinn said after complimenting the fans in attendance. “I thought we were ready to play from the drop of the puck. I thought we had all four lines going. I thought our D corps played well and our goalie played well. So it was truly a team effort.”
The Rangers coach also highlighted the play of rookie, Alexis Lafreniere. “He’s always smiling, the game ends and he’s hooting and hollering,” Quinn said with a smile. “He’s getting more confident and more comfortable. I love the fact that he wants to learn…really like the direction his game is going.”
Post Game Notes
- The Rangers recorded a single-game season-high six goals in tonight’s contest. Including team goals awarded for a shootout win, the Blueshirts have registered at least three goals in each of the last four games and in 11 of 18 games this season. In addition, New York has posted a 7-2-2 record when tallying at least three goals in a game in 2020-21 and has registered at least three goals in each of its seven wins thus far this season.
- The Rangers were 1-for-4 (6:10) on the power play in tonight’s contest. The Blueshirts have tallied a power play goal in each of the last four games, registering five power play goals over the span (5-for-19; 26.3%).
- The Blueshirts were 3-for-3 (6:00) on the penalty kill in tonight’s game and held Boston to only five shots on goal over the Bruins’ three power play opportunities.
- Ryan Strome tallied three points (one goal, two assists), recorded five shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating. Strome posted a three-point game for the eighth time in his NHL career. He extended his assist/point streak to four games (two goals, five assists over the span), and his four-game assist streak is tied for his career-high. In addition, Strome has recorded 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in the last 12 games.
- Adam Fox tallied two assists, both of which were primary assists, notched a power play assist, was credited with three blocked shots, and posted a plus-two rating in a game-high 21:41 of ice time. He has recorded an assist/point in each of the last two games (three assists, two of which were power play assists), and he leads Rangers defensemen in assists (nine) and points (10) this season.
The Rangers will have a day off today.
Next Game: Sunday, Feb. 28 vs. Boston (12:00 p.m. ET – TV: NBC)
*Notes ctsy NYR
