Chris Kreider leads New York Rangers to matinee victory

The New York Rangers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 thanks to a pair of Chris Kreider goals.

In a feature here at Blue Line Station, we will be providing thoughts and analysis following every Rangers game. Make sure to stop by after games to see what you might have missed!

Game Action:

• Michael Leighton started for the Carolina Hurricanes. If the name sounds familar, that’s because Leighton was one of the goalies that aided the Philadelphia Flyers in making the Stanley Cup in 2010.
• After four minutes with little action, Ryan McDonagh sprung the Rangers offense, leading to a rebound goal for Derek Stepan. The call on the ice was no goal because Leighton’s glove masked the puck. Following a review, the referees changed the call to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
• Lundqvist appeared far more comfortable in net to begin the game, making a beautiful pad stop a minute after Stepan’s goal.
• Josh Jooris took a penalty, handing the Hurricanes their first Power-Play of the game. Jooris was not benched following the miscue, which is significant. Jooris has been far better than Oscar Lindberg in their respective fourth line roles.
• The Rangers Penalty Kill was phenomenal. Jesper Fast, Michael Grabner, and company clogged up the lanes and stifled the Hurricanes Power-Play.
• Henrik Lundqvist thwarted a series of Hurricanes chances to conclude the period. The Hurricanes out-attempted the Rangers 25-10 in the first, out-shooting them 13-1 after Stepan’s goal. After one period of play, 1-0 Rangers, 15-3 Hurricanes in shots.
• Early into the second, Carolina kept the Rangers in their own zone for over a minute, but Lundqvist performed majestically once again. The Rangers followed the Hurricanes’ lead, pinning Carolina in their zone for over a minute. No goal.
• A turnover by Ryan McDonagh led to a 3 on 1 chance for the Hurricanes. Viktor Stalberg shot around a snow-diving Dan Girardi and past Henrik Lundqvist. 1-1.
• McDonagh followed up his mistake with another one with 6:35 remaining. McDonagh took down Sebastian Aho to put the Rangers back on the Penalty Kill.
• Kevin Hayes took a slashing penalty on top of McDonagh’s call. 1:08 of 5 on 3 for the Hurricanes, Girardi on the ice. Luckily for the Rangers, Lee Stempniak slashed Girardi in an area one does not want to be slashed. 4 on 3.
• Marc Staal flew up the ice 4 on 4, but his shot was stopped by Leighton. Staal has looked like a new player this season, and his streaking up the ice was yet another example.
• New York went back on the Power-Play with two minutes remaining in the second. The man advantage induced snoozing, as the Rangers appeared content with running out the remainder of the period. 1-1 after two periods, 25-11 Hurricanes in shots.
• Starting the third period, New York picked their game up. The Rangers out-shot the Hurricanes 9-0 in the first six minutes, the last of which ending up in the back of the Hurricanes net. Brady Skjei led Michael Grabner on a break, and Grabner fired it past Leighton. 2-1 Rangers.
• Carolina answered right back, piecing together a fantastic shift. Victor Rask slapped the puck past a screened Lundqvist, 2-2.
• Chris Kreider worked his way out of his scoring slump to give the Rangers the lead. A Dan Girardi slapshot rebounded to Derek Stepan, whose shot rebounded to Kreider. Wide open net, easy goal. 3-2 Rangers.
• Chris Kreider again. Mats Zuccarello cut through a Hurricanes face-off win, sparking himself and Kreider on a 2 on 1. Kreider streaked down the left side and rocketed it off of the post, off of Leighton, and into the net. 4-2 Rangers. 28-23 Hurricanes in shots.

Final Thoughts:

• J.T. Miller looked exhausted out there. Miller was constantly clutching different parts of his body, appearing to be generally worn down. The Rangers cannot afford to lose him, creating a concerning situation.
• Jesper Fast does not belong in an offensive role, but when he plays with similar-minded players he’s outstanding. Fast’s pass to Skjei on the Rangers second goal was a beauty.
• Unsurprisingly, the Hurricanes goals came with Girardi-McDonagh on the ice. As long as the pair remains together, the Rangers are in trouble.
• Kreider scored two goals after scoring one in his previous 16 games. Getting Kreider moving in the direction will be a key for the Rangers offense to outscore their poor defense.
• Henrik Lundqvist bounced back from an awful performance to lead the Rangers to victory. For every time Lundqvist struggles, he is there to lead the team. No concern here.

Next: Rangers wasting Ryan McDonagh

• Next up is the Islanders on Tuesday night. The Rangers have not yet won at the Barclays Center, so the game should be a spirited affair.