New York Rangers Comeback In the Third to Beat the Detroit Red Wings
By Conor Power
Your New York Rangers come from behind in the third period to defeat the Detroit Red Wings. They improved to 5-0 following a defeat and came from behind to win a game they needed to. This looked more like the Rangers of old and the team that had been so explosive through the first 20 games of the season. As time ticked on in this game, the city of New York got to see the Rangers back at their best.
It would be the big line that would start the party for the Blueshirts. K’Andre Miller would walk into the zone before tapping it to the left wing for Alexis Lafreniere. Lafreniere would play a perfect pass through everyone on the ice to Artemi Panarin on the right wing. With the freedom of Madison Square Garden, the Breadman picks a corner and makes it a 1-0 Rangers lead—a good start on home ice.
Detroit would tie the game up on a shot from the point from Moritz Seider, who beat Shesterkin from distance through the screen in front after former Ranger Andrew Copp and Robby Fabbri would team up to get the puck to the German. It was a tie game, and the Red Wings now had the momentum. With a dangerous team trying to seize on it, the Rangers were on the back foot.
It would be the Wings who then took the lead a few minutes later. Andrew Copp would once again haunt his former team by winning a puck battle in the slot. He left it for Jonathan Berggren. He set up Robby Fabbri, who didn’t miss, and the Rangers now found themselves trailing a team with a lot of offensive talent going into in third intermission. Trying to avoid consecutive defeats for the first time this season, it was all left to do for New York.
So when you need something to open a lock, you get a key. Jacob Trouba did well to keep a puck in from Chris Kreider at the point. He found Mika Zibanejad on the left wing. He fired the puck over to K’Andre Miller, and Key opened the door for the Rangers to get back into this game. Halfway through the third period, we have a tie game.
Alexis Lafreniere picked the puck up coming out off the box and dropped it to Vincent Trocheck. Trocheck and Lafreniere play catch as the Rangers break into the offensive zone. Lafreniere fires on the net, and Jimmy Vesey is able to get to the puck before the Detroit defenseman is able to paw it away. It’s below the bar, and he gives the Rangers the lead. Spoiler: they would not give it back.
New York moves to 16-4-1 on the season. Seven points clear of the Carolina Hurricanes in the division. Running away with home ice in round one is one thing, but this is a team doing it without multiple forward players who are missing through injury. If you love this team, you have to be happy with how it is playing, and the Rangers right now are riding along smoothly.