Going for three in a row, Kravtsov to make his debut
By Steve Paulus
About the Rangers
When asked about the game Thursday, coach David Quinn was clearly unhappy with play in the first period. The Rangers came out of the period trailing 1-0 and were outshot 12-10.
“We did a lot of good things in the second and third, obviously things we’re going to have to do better to score more goals to take advantage of our zone time and puck possession….a little bit more of a shooting mentality with people around the net more. We have a tendency to play an east-west game, too many cross ice passes.”
What’s interesting was that he was talking about even strength play when it sure sounded like a description of the power play. Ironically, both Ranger regulation goals were goals scored by going to the net, one by Colin Blackwell and the go-ahead goal in the third period by Filip Chytil that was the very definition of a “greasy” goal. I suppose that’s why the line that scored that greasy goal got less than eight minutes combined ice time in the third period. Mika Zibanejad alone had over nine and a half minutes of ice time in the third period.
The go-ahead goal came from Filip Chytil at 6:17 of the third period and Julien Gauthier was key to the goal. He was rewarded with one more minute of ice time in the game after they scored. For actually scoring the goal, Chytil got to play another 1:50.
True, the Rangers were nursing a one goal lead for about 14 minutes, but they still gave up the tying goal and were lucky to win in overtime. Let’s not even talk about the power play that was unsuccessful in four tries including two third period power plays that could have iced the game.
One other decision that has been made is that Igor Shesterkin will make his fifth start in six games for the second time in his NHL career. He did it earlier this season, winning two of the five games.
Ryan Strome will be going for his 11th straight game with an assist. He can break Rod Gilbert’s record for a forward if he does it and will be within four game of tying Brian Leetch’s club record. Strome has points in 11 straight games, six below Leetch’s team record of 17.
Projected lineup
20 Kreider– 93 Zibanejad – 89 Buchnevich
10 Panarin – 16 Strome – 24 Kakko
13 Lafrenière – 72 Chytil- 12 Gauthier
43 Blackwell – 17 Rooney – 74 Kravtsov
55 Lindgren – 23 Fox
79 Miller – 8 Trouba
25 Hajek – 42 Smith31
31 Shesterkin
40 Georgiev