New York Rangers: The most improved player this season

Coming off a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, there were many New York Rangers to salute, but one player was singled out by the coach after the game.

Ryan Lindgren didn’t get his name on the scoresheet, but he played an integral part in the victory and was recognized by Coach David Quinn after the game. Without a doubt, he is the most improved player on the New York Rangers this season.

The quintessential moment in the game for Lindgren was when he took on Evgeni Malkin who was planted in front of the Ranger net. It was the third period of a tie game and Lindgren didn’t let Malkin stay there as the two exchanged a series of vicious cross checks and slashes.

It was the essence of Lindgren’s game as he brings a tough attitude and higher level of physical play than any other defenseman on the team.   He is rapidly becoming an important piece of the young Blueshirts defense corps.

On a team with a coach who values swagger and battle level, LIndgren epitomizes everything David Quinn is looking for in a blueliner.

"“Ryan Lindgren, I can’t give him enough credit for what he’s done as a player.  Everybody talked about how competitive he was, how hard he was, but this guy has changed his body, he’s quicker, he’s more agile, he does a really good job getting us out of our end and he hasn’t lost the competitive edge.  Boy, he’s really turned himself into a real good player in a short period of time.” – David Quinn"

Lindgren also has an offensive upside as he has shown he knows when to jump into the play.  The perfect example was his first NHL goal he scored on Sunday versus Florida.

But it’s not his offense that the Rangers value, it’s his toughness.  During the telecast last night, Joe Micheletti revealed that when Lindgren had been hammered into the end boards by Brian Boyle in the Florida game, it wasn’t just a tough check that sent him to the locker room.  He actually displaced a rib and the medical staff popped it back into place.  Lindgren was soon back on the ice playing crucial minutes in the third period and overtime.  Think about it, a displaced rib would put a major league baseball player on the disabled list for a month.  Lindgren missed just a few minutes.  Here’s a still image of the check.

Perhaps the biggest improvement in Lindgren’s game has been his ability to move the puck.  Quinn talked about that on Sunday.  “I think he’s done a really good job and it’s his getting us out of our end  which is something a lot of people haven’t talked about when you describe Ryan Lindgren…the thing I really like about his game is  when the puck gets below our goal line he’s doing a really good job getting us out of our end.  Another good thing he does is whenever he decides to do something…it may not be the right thing,  he’s doing it with conviction.”