New York Rangers Fall to Blues in Back-to-Back Shootout Loss
FIRST PERIOD: An early scuffle resulted in penalties called on New York Rangers‘ Dylan McIlrath and St. Louis Blues‘ Ian Cole for roughing at 2:06. On the 4-on-4, the Rangers had a few great chances but Blues goalie Brian Elliot had better saves. Just before getting back to full-strength, Blues’ Barret Jackman was called for hooking at 4:07. The Rangers then got their first power play goal on home ice this season (you read that right, a POWER PLAY GOAL) when Chris Kreider caught a deflection at 5:29 with assists credited to Anthony Duclair and Matt Hunwick. Rangers kept good control of the puck and got another power play when Steve Ott was called at 8:16 for hooking. Ryan Reaves and McIlrath dropped the gloves at 13:04. Both landed solid punches and both received five minutes for fighting. At 14:15, Ryan Malone‘s stick broke on a chance and Maxim Lapierre was called for slashing. Blues were then able to clear the puck several times with a more aggressive penalty kill. The Blues were outshot, 15-4, in a great first period by the Rangers as Brian Leetch later expressed during the first intermission.
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SECOND PERIOD: Rangers goalie Cam Talbot had a huge save on Jaden Schwartz‘s rising snap shot at 1:14. Blueshirt, Kevin Hayes had a good chance as well and you could tell he’s improved on his quick release. Talbot gets a few more great saves in and then the first Blues power play is brought on by Hunwick, called for interference at 5:57. The hands on Vladimir Tarasenko led to a goal (and an undeniably amazing one at that) to tie the game one apiece at 11:29, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk and Elliot. Answering back with aggression, Rangers defenseman Tanner Glass flattened Magnus Paajarvi into the boards. Later at 15:10, McIlrath headed to the the penalty box for tripping. The shorthanded Rangers had an excellent penalty kill, evident by a couple good opportunities. Pressure then stayed in the Blues offensive zone until the second intermission. Blues outshot the Rangers this time, 17-8.
THIRD PERIOD: Blues’ Patrik Berglund deflected off of a Ranger and then one of the Blues to take the one goal lead at 3:50, assisted by Jackman. A missed chance by Hayes on a wide open Blues net left Rangers fans highly disappointed then a 20-second scramble for the puck in the crease ensued, but the puck never crossed the line. Carl Hagelin brought the puck behind the Blues net, and Elliot looking for a wraparound misses a shot by Martin St. Louis at 6:28, giving Rangers the lead at 3-2. Hayes comes off the ice at 7:26 for a hooking penalty that shouldn’t have been called when Blues’ Joakim Lindstrom was clearly diving for the puck. Then we saw an absolute beauty: Nash skated to the net with the puck, executed a back hand pass to Marty and he buries it in the net at 13:17, the other assist credited to Derick Brassard. Shortly after, a wrist shot by Blues’ Jay Bouwmeester tied the game back up 3-3 at 14:33, assisted by Jori Lehtera and Tarasenko. With less than a minute left, a slashing call on Shattenkirk gives Rangers another power play. The Blues barely outshot the Rangers in the third, 11-10.
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OVERTIME: With Rangers still with the man advantage, Nash ripped a shot that seemed to hit net and sounded like it did when Madison Square Garden erupted. Yet after review, we saw that the puck clearly hit off the post and thus, play continued. The Rangers had more chances when Marc Staal rushed at the net and Nash missed wide, but to no avail. Rangers outshot the Blues 6-2 in OT. Face-offs favored the Rangers this game at 39-30.
SHOOTOUT: Rangers were up first, just as in the last shootout. Marty St. Louis was denied with a glove save by Elliot. Lindstrom was shut down by Talbot. Rangers’ Lee Stempniak scored, but Steen replied with a goal under the cross bar. Nash was then denied by a poke-check from Elliot. It all came down to Tarasenko, and Talbot didn’t have a chance against him, giving the St. Louis Blues the win, 4-3, and the Rangers the second loss in a shootout in a row.