It was another must-win game for the New York Rangers, a win-able game against an inferior opponent. Guess what, they lost.
The New York Rangers were coming off what could have been their most emotional game of the season. Buoyed by Mika Zibanejad‘s five goals and an overtime win, the fear was that they would have a letdown.
The importance of the game was paramount. Earlier, the Islanders had lost in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes. the worst possible outcome of a game featuring two teams the Rangers need to pass. It meant the Islanders were three points ahead and the Hurricanes moved one point ahead of the Rangers.
The team started Igor Shesterkin, back from his rib injury and that didn’t inspire the team. He had his worst outing as a Ranger, allowing five goals on 23 shots. While most of the goals were not his fault, he wasn’t his usual spectacular self.
If there was anything positive about the game., it was the shutout pitched by Henrik Lundqvist in the third period when he came in to replace Shesterkin.
The Rangers should have known better as the Devils have been playing very effectively lately. Now, the team has lost three of four and thankfully, has not lost much ground in the race for the playoffs, except that time is getting shorter.
The Game
The Ranger got off to fast start and it looked like it the Rangers were picking up where they left off. The Blueshirts had the first six shots over the first four minutes and they finally cashed in when Filip Chytil scored.
Adam Fox led the break-in and got the puck to Julien Gauthier who fed Chytil who was unguarded in front of the Devils’ net.
It seems like the Rangers cannot stand prosperity as less than a minute later Kyle Palmieri knotted the score, putting the puck past Shesterkin who didn’t hug the post. It was a bad goal, one of the few that Shesterkin has allowed in his brief NHL career.
The Rangers got the lead right back just 56 seconds later and it was the magic man, Mika Zibanejad, who put the puck home.
Pavel Buchnevich kept the puck in the Devils’ zone and passed to Adam Fox who worked a give and go with Zibanejad who put the puck past Devils netminder MacKenzie Blackwood.
The rest of the first period was dominated by the Rangers with the best Devils’ chance a shorthanded breakaway by Kevin Rooney with six minutes left. Rooney had a break when Fox was caught pinching and his shot hit the post.
After one period the Rangers had the one goal lead and the teams were even in shots with 12.
Any goodwill going into the second period ended 44 seconds in when Palmieri scored his second goal of the game. The Rangers had a chance to clear, but couldn’t and Palmieri got a to a rebound of a Miles Wood shot and put it past Shesterkin who didn’t have much of a chance.
Things got worse when ex-Ranger Fredrik Claesson scored his first goal as a Devil off a feed from Nikita Gusev. It was the result of more lax play in their own end and David Quinn immediately called a timeout to halt the momentum.
It appeared to work as the Devils didn’t have many opportunities, but then again, neither did the Rangers. The Devils were able to kill one penalty and they cashed in when Adam Fox went off for tripping Nico Hischier.
Less than a minute into the power play, Travis Zajac put one past Shesterkin. It was a bang bang play as Zajac took the pass from Nico Hischier and one-time the shot.
25 seconds after that goal, the Devils were the recipient of some puckluck. John Hayden scored his third goal of the season when a shot from Damon Severson hit him in the hip and deflected by Shesterkin.
The Rangers were stunned, on the wrong end of a 5-2 score, scoring four second period goals on ten shots.
Daivd Quinn put Henrik Lundqvist in net in relief of Shesterkin and shades of the preseason, was immediately challenged by a Jack Hughes breakaway. Unlike the pre-season, Lundqvist stopped Hughes.
The Rangers pushed, but were unable to get one until Gregg McKegg scored with just over six minutes left.
It went off
who was planted in front of the net as
took the shot from the blue line.
The Rangers pulled Lundqvist with 1:43 left in the third period, but were unable to score and Then, Adam Fox fanned on a pass in his own zone, sending the puck to Zajac who scored his second goal of the game into the empty net.
Tony DeAngelo scored a meaningless goal with 43 second left on a shot that banked in off defenseman Connor Carrick.
Thankfully, game ended for the disappointed fans and the Rangers who saw a golden opportunity lost.