Blue Line Station
Fansided

New York Rangers: Top 5 Plays in October

By Karly Redpath

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 04: An overview of Madison Square Garden prior to the game between the New York Rangers and the Nashville Predators on October 4, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 04: An overview of Madison Square Garden prior to the game between the New York Rangers and the Nashville Predators on October 4, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 11: The New York Rangers Pavel Buchnevich (89) and Jesper Fast (17) are excited to celebrate the goal scored by Brendan Smith (42) during a game between the New York Rangers and the San Jose Sharks on October 11, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by John McCreary/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 11: The New York Rangers Pavel Buchnevich (89) and Jesper Fast (17) are excited to celebrate the goal scored by Brendan Smith (42) during a game between the New York Rangers and the San Jose Sharks on October 11, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by John McCreary/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Number 5 – Brendan Smith’s game-tying-goal

With action behind the net, a wide open Brendan Smith manages to finish off a great pass from Pavel Buchnevich and tie a close contest against the San Jose Sharks at MSG.

In this play, the Rangers enter the zone and Filip Chytil controls the puck along the boards. Boxing out San Jose’s Evander Kane, Chytil skates into the corner and with more pressure, manages a pass along the boards further into the corner for Jesper Fast.

Now nearly behind Aaron Dell in goal, Fast passes the puck off to Buchnevich who, upon gaining possession, has his back to the net. Once clearing the cage, and with his defenseman behind him, Buchnevich makes what is basically a no look pass into open ice in front of the net.

Smith had stepped up past his man (Kane) and came in full speed from the blueline. He connected with Buchnevich’s pass at the exact right moment and hammered a shot above Dell’s shoulder on his blocker side.

Despite there being four Sharks in the vicinity of the net, there was no chance for them to stop the wide open Smith from netting this shot.

This goal tied the game at three, and forced the game into overtime where Brady Skjei gave the Rangers their first win of the 2018-19 season in overtime.

Smith has been the Rangers most consistent defensemen throughout the Rangers’ first 12 games. This comes after he was put on waivers midway through 2017-18 and spent the remainder of last season in Hartford.

Home/Editorials