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New York Rangers: The real deal, other takeaways from dramatic Isles win

By Andrew Steele-Davis

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 25: The New York Rangers celebrate their 4-3 overtime win against the New York Islanders at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on February 25, 2020 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 25: The New York Rangers celebrate their 4-3 overtime win against the New York Islanders at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on February 25, 2020 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 25: Brendan Smith #42 of the New York Rangers skates against the New York Islanders at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on February 25, 2020 in Uniondale, New York. The Rangers defeated the Islanders 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 25: Brendan Smith #42 of the New York Rangers skates against the New York Islanders at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on February 25, 2020 in Uniondale, New York. The Rangers defeated the Islanders 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

2. Smith stepping up to the plate

It was an emotional day on Monday for the New York Rangers who traded popular defenseman Brady Skjei to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2020 First-Round pick.

Drafted with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Skjei had been nurtured and developed by the Rangers, so it was a sad day.

The locker room would no doubt have been impacted by that trade, but such is the nature of sports.

Time waits for nobody in the NHL so attention quickly turned to who would join Jacob Trouba on the top defensive pairing, and it was Brendan Smith who got the nod.

And, as has been the case under David Quinn, Smith delivered and did what was asked of him against the Islanders.

Logging 18:25 minutes of total ice-time, a season-high, Smith recorded one point, two hits, one blocked shot and a +1 rating.

Smith did a solid job alongside Trouba and it could actually be a pairing that works for the remainder of the year.

After all, while he’s not a flashy player and won’t make highlight-reel plays, you know what you are going to get with Smith.

And he can contribute offensively as seen against the Isles after the veteran blasted a shot from the point, which was tipped in by Brett Howden to give the Rangers a two-goal lead.

On a night when the Blueshirts did what they had to do in order to secure a big W, Brendan Smith really stepped up to the plate.

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