New York Rangers Hope for Luck in LA
By Frank Pickel
One Down, Two to Go. Rangers Look Ahead to LA
Last night, the New York Rangers were able to add two much needed points to their Metropolitan division standings. The Blueshirts came back from a 0-1 deficit to beat the Ducks 2-1.
Kevin Klein was the lone goal scorer for the the boys in blue. Klein’s ability to score last night was some what lucky. He seemed to just be in the right place at the right time.
His first goal came off of a long rebound. The puck was shot on goal and seemed to hit the blocker of John Gibson squarely. However, the puck decided to take a sever angle off Gibson and conveniently placed itself on the tape of Klein’s stick. With no one around him, Klein ripped the puck by Gibson.
His second goal was scored on a sequence of passes and deflections that happened so quickly and close to net leaving no option for Gibson but to close his eyes and pray for the puck to hit some part of his body or a post.
This win is a great start to the New York Rangers west coast trip, but they may need a little luck on this St. Patrick’s day if they want to leave LA with a victory.
The New York Rangers vs Anze Kopitar
Back in February, the Rangers had a chance to beat the Kings in OT. However, the Kings were able to skate away with the win after Tanner Pearson scored in extra time.
Tanner Pearson may have scored the game winning goal that evening, but Anze Kopitar gave the Rangers nightmares. Kopitar recorded a hat trick that evening and that alone pretty much sums up the Blueshirts inability to mark him.
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The headache Kopitar gave the Rangers will surely be apparent tonight as Kopitar’s presence on the ice will be a key aspect of both teams game plan. One aspect of the Kings game, which was absent last time these two met, is Jonathan Quick.
Quick missed the Rangers in February and this may have been why New York was able to record three goals. Quick is an outstanding goaltender and will undoubtedly test the Rangers offensive ability. However, the same could be said for the Kings.
Not only was Lundqvist out during this previous meeting, but so was Ryan McDonagh and Rick Nash. This is great news for the Rangers. Lundqvist, Nash and McDonagh are each integral parts of the Blueshirts team and to have all three available during a three game road trip is a huge bonus.
Past vs Present
Due to all of the injuries both teams experienced in February, their previous meeting is not the best barometer for things to come.
The Rangers were riddled with injury in February and even though they found ways to win, it wasn’t pretty and they should look like a better team in LA tonight. Nash is still looking to regain his savvy scoring ability, but his presence on the ice is enough to keep defenseman weary of his talent. McDonagh also had a nice showing last night and if he plays like that again today, he will be hard to get by.
If the Rangers win tonight, they have a chance to win all three games during this trip to Cali. It will be a test though. They are coming off of a win in Anaheim, which is nice, but that win came less than 24 hours ago.
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The New York Rangers will need to come out swinging in LA and put as many pucks on goal as they can. A one-point game will be difficult to win with Quick between the pipes. A fast start will also encourage fans to believe the team has a chance in the post season. The Blueshirts have struggled to win back to back games lately and lost two in a row this past weekend. If they have post season aspirations that span further than a first round appearance, they must prove they can beat good teams with short turnover.