Ranking the top 5 Rangers wins
#5 – January 8: Rangers 4, Anaheim 1
This one may come off as a bit of a surprise. On the surface, it seems insignificant. But this could be argued as the Rangers most dominant win of the season. They also did it with a roster ravaged by COVID-19 including their coach and they did it on the road against a top Pacific Division team. That is why it makes the top five.
The first period was uneventful and scoreless. The Ducks’ Isac Lundestrom actually opened the scoring at the midway point of the second period, but three minutes later, Mika Zibanejad continued his tear and found the back of the net.
The third period was all Rangers. Jarred Tinordi broke the tie early in the period. To cap the game off Ryan Lindgren scored two goals to give him his first ever multi-goal game. 10 different Rangers tallied a point that night.
What was most eye opening were the final shot totals. The Rangers outshot the Ducks 40-14 and held the Ducks to only four shots in the second period and three shots in the third. That is absolute two way dominance, and the most we’ve seen from them this year. Adding in the absences of important players and being out on the west coast – this game was a top five win for the Rangers this season.
#4 – November 26: Rangers 5 Bruins 2
Any game against Boston is going to be a tough one. This game had a lot of noise surrounding it. It was a matinee game the day after Thanksgiving, and it was on national television.
The first period was very lackluster for the Rangers. They were outshot 17-5, and Craig Smith put the B’s up 1-0. Shesterkin made several huge saves that allowed them to stay in the game. With just six seconds remaining in the first, Panarin gave Strome a beautiful feed for the tying goal. Last second goals can be huge.
In the second, they went down 2-1 after a Patrice Bergeron goal. Dryden Hunt was able to equalize the game at two. This was on his short hot stint on the Panarin line. They looked much better this period, getting 19 shots on Jeremy Swayman.
The third period was all Rangers. They took it to the Bruins and scored three more goals to win by a score of 5-2. It was great to watch them come into the third period tied, on the road, against a tough team and take full control of the game. Panarin, Strome, Hunt, Fox and Julien Gauthier all registered two points.
Panarin even gave us all a laugh when he threw his glove at Brad Marchand.
It was an all-around great win for the Rangers.
#3 – November 14: Rangers 4 Devils 3 (shootout)
I had the pleasure of being in the building for this win. The reasons for this making the list are clear. It was an exciting win over an archrival while playing a strong two way game for the full 60 and then some. The Rangers were also on the second night of a back-to-back.
They were down 1-0 entering the second period. Just three minutes in, Fox did all the work him self scoring an impressive unassisted goal. The kids even got in on the action. Lafreniere gave the Rangers the lead after a powerplay had just expired. Shortly after, Dougie Hamilton scored for New Jersey. This set up an entertaining third period.
Kaapo Kakko scored a beautiful goal to break the tie, giving him two points on the night. They couldn’t keep the lead as Pavel Zacha scored late in the third.
The overtime period had its diverting moments, but the shootout made the night so unforgettable. Normally shootouts feel like a terrible way to end such a good game. But this was one of the best shootouts we’ve seen in some time. It was back and forth until Chris Kreider ended it. Of course he did. What a season for him.
There’s almost nothing better than beating the Devils.
#2 – January 2: Rangers 4 Lightning 0
The top two Rangers wins this season are a bit different. In this shutout win against the Lightning, they were outshot largely on the stat sheet. But it’s the scoreboard that matters when the whistle blows.
Some may have said the Rangers had no business winning this game. They had eked out a win over Tampa just two nights prior. For this game, the Lightning were getting back Andrei Vasilevskiy. Artemi Panarin was placed in COVID-19 Protocol that morning. The Rangers didn’t seem to care about what they were up against.
Zibanejad stepped up to the plate. He scored twice from his favorite spot on the power play, both assisted by Fox and Kreider. Ryan Strome then added another to make it 3-0.
In the second period, Zibanejad completed the hat trick and made the scoreboard extremely one-sided. Shesterkin was rock solid in net posting 38 saves for a shutout. It was one of his best performances of the season.
Beating the reigning Stanley Cup champs on back-to-back games in this fashion easily puts this win high on the list.
#1 January 19: Rangers 6 Maple Leafs 3
Could this be recency bias? Maybe. You could argue that all of these games could qualify as number one. This game had a bit of everything, though. Once again, the Rangers had a very poor start, but players lower on the depth chart brought the team alive.
This game was looking like it was going to be turned off by fans after one period. Ryan Reaves had other plans. Down 2-0, he scored his first goal as a Ranger to cut the lead in half. In the second period down 3-1, he scored once more to pull within a goal. When a fourth liner steps up when you really need it, it gets the whole bench energized.
It was all Rangers after this. Fox scored off a beautiful set up to send the game into the final period tied at three. The team’s third period performances have been vital factor and their record reflects it. Strome and Kreider each found the net, and Fox capped it off with an empty net tally.
When it was over, you were sold on this team being a contender. As Reaves said. “We are one of the big boys.” They proved to have the intangibles that contending teams need. They have guys down the lineup that can step up when the stars don’t have it. This was the most defining win of the season.
The New York Rangers hope to have more games like this in the second half as they continue their push for the playoffs!
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