Panarin leads the way in 4-0 win over the Devils

Notes on the game

Igor Shesterkin got his second straight shutout, but didn’t have to work as hard, facing only 16 shots in the game. That was the fewest shots he has faced in a game this season.

Igor Shesterkin became the first Ranger goalie to have back-to-back shutouts since Antti Raanta in December 2016.  Raanta shut out Chicago and New Jersey.

This was the first time the Rangers had shut out the same team twice in a row since 2014.  That last happened in November 2014 when Cam Talbot shut out the Flyers in two straight games with two other games in between.

The last time a Ranger goalie shut out the same opponent in back-to-back games was in 1955 when Gump Worsley did it to the Boston Bruins.

Ryan Lindgren scored only his second NHL goal and his first since November 10, 2019. It was his first goal in 98 games . He may have not had a goal in those 97 games, but he has notched 24 assists.

Colin Blackwell was on ice for all four Ranger goals and had a career high in points with three assists.   He is scoring a a point-a-game pace with six goals and four assists in his last 10 games.

Artemi Panarin scored two goals and added an assist for his 15th multi-point game this season.  In his last nine games he has seven goals and 10 assists.  His 1.44 points per game rate is one hundredth of a point behind second place Leon Draisaitl.  The odd thing about Panarin’s season is that he is still looking for his first game winning goal.

Panarin’s first goal was spectacular.  He broke into the Devils’ zone on a two on one and he stopped on a dime, took the pass and scored on the one-timer.  How he was able to stop and receive the puck when he was going full speed is an indication of how talented he is.

The last goal, scored by Panarin was an odd one. Blackwell took a shot and turn and exited the zone, leaving Panarin and Strome to continue the puck pursuit.  Strome got to it, made the quick pass to Panarin who one-timed it into the net.

After the game, we found out that Blackwell had broken his stick, accounting for his uncharacteristic departure from the play.

The coach (Jacob Trouba) scored just 47 seconds into the game. It was the fifth time the Rangers have scored in the first two minutes of a game and they are 4-1 in those games.

Vitali Kravtsov was moved  up to the left wing with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich in the third period and he looked right at home.  He thought he had scored his first NHL goal ten minutes into the third period when put  wicked shot over Mackenzie Blackwood’s shoulder.  Unfortunately, Buchnevich deked at the blue line and Zibanejad was just offside. They went to review and the goal was overturned.   Did Lindy Ruff have to challenge the goal with a four goal deficit and less than half a period to go?  You decide.

With Kravtsov moved up to the top line, it meant that Chris Krieder  was demoted to the fourth line. He is mired in a horrible slump and is showing nothing when he is playing. His timing is off, he isn’t a physical presence and his demotion was well deserved.

David Quinn was able to roll four lines again and every forward had between 10:18 minutes and 13:58 minutes of even strength ice time except Brett Howden with 9:45 and Panarin with a well deserved 16:26.

The duo of Trouba and K’Andre Miller both played just under 24 minutes, the most of any defensemen.

The Rangers were  scoreless on two power plays after not getting a man advantage in the previous game.  The penalty killers were a perfect three for three.

The Rangers defense held he Devils to under 10 shots in each period, the eighth time that has happened this year.

This was the first time the home team won in the six games between the Rangers and New Jersey.

The Rangers like playing on Thursdays with a record of 7-3.   They have yet to win a game on a Sunday this season.