Ranking the top 5 Rangers wins

The New York Rangers have completed 43 games, just over halfway through the season. Let’s take a look at their best wins, and what made them so special.

The criteria for these rankings are a blend of overall game dominance, showing resilience, memorable plays and season defining wins.

Currently sitting at first place in the Metropolitan Division, it’s not easy to pick the best games so far in a season filled with brilliant saves, spectacular goals and dramatic comebacks.

It was extremely fun to take a look at every game so far, and to choose which ones were the best. Let’s get into it. We’ll start with the honorable mentions.

Three Honorable Mentions

October 29:  Rangers 4  Blue Jackets 0

This is a game that definitely gets lost in the deck and is forgotten about by fans. That is completely understandable. Looking back now, it seems quite irrelevant. However, at the time this was a big win. While we saw the Rangers put together many wins at the start in October, they were undoubtedly struggling to look like the better team and play a full 60 minutes.

This was their first dominant win. Through all three periods they outmatched Columbus. The final shot total was in their favor at 37-31. The score was 2-0 after one period thanks to Ryan Strome’s first goal of the season, as well as a goal from Alexis Lafrenière. The second period was scoreless, and Chris Kreider tallied two power play goals in the third.

The final score was 4-0. Igor Shesterkin posted his first shutout of the season. Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin each notched three assists.

The quality of opponent, lack of memorable moments, and lopsided scoreline keep this game out of the top five.

November 11:  Rangers 5 Sabres 4

We all know why this game is being mentioned. This game makes the list due to its memorable finish. It was one that we will all remember for a long time. A back and forth game between the Rangers and Sabres that featured very shaky goaltending ended with Ryan Lindgren scoring just before the final buzzer sounded.

The goaltending flaws were most apparent in the second period. In just 1:22, four total goals were scored – two for each side. It was chaotic to say the least. The Rangers then replaced Alexander Georgiev with Igor Shesterkin for the third with the score tied 4-4. The third period was a stalemate until Lindgren potted the game winning goal at the literal last second.

Sam Rosen made a great call, might I add.

What keeps this game out of the top five is that outside of the buzzer beater, it was close to a disaster. The goaltending left a bad taste in your mouth, and it shouldn’t have taken what it did to beat Buffalo. Nonetheless, a fun and memorable win for the Rangers.

January 22:   Rangers 7  Coyotes 3

This game is fresh in our memories as it was played this week. This game was an emotional roller coaster for Ranger fans. It had the makings of the worst loss of the season, but Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba had other plans.

This game said a lot about the leaders of the team, and that they can turn it on at any given moment. It was encouraging to see them ignite and instantly turn it into a blowout.

Down 3-1 midway through the second period, Kreider and Trouba hooked up for a short handed goal. That got the crowd, and the team going. They then scored three more goals before the period’s end.

Kreider ended with a hat trick, as well as an assist. Trouba and Mika Zibanejad tallied three points each. Panarin and Fox each had two of their own. The dreadful start to the game keeps this out of the top five. However, this is a game we will definitely look back on at the season’s end as a defining win.

#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.