The New York Rangers defeated the Seattle Kraken in a late one, 3-2. It went all the way to overtime to get it done, making it the second straight game to end in that fashion.
There were a bunch of positives from this game, and it now looks like the Rangers are starting to get it together. Here are three of the biggest things to take away from this game.
Will Cuylle stays hot
One of the most important players on this roster decided to stay on his hot streak. Will Cuylle, who many believe can be the next big thing in this top-six forward group, had an assist in the first period on Noah Laba’s goal and then scored the game-winner in overtime.
Cuylle now has points in his last four games and is directly benefiting from the success of this team. With Vincent Trocheck still out with an injury, he is going to continue to step it up in the point production department.
Igor Shesterkin wasn’t tested much, but still needed overtime
It is crazy to think that only allowing two goals is not a good enough effort from a goaltender. That is how much expectation and pressure there is on Igor Shesterkin.
The Kraken were only able to muster 13 shots on Shesterkin in this game, and he made stops on 11 of them. The game still went to overtime.
This season has been a bit of a roller coaster for Shesterkin. He started off hot with only allowing three goals in his first four starts. But then, he went on a stretch of allowing 5+ goals in back-to-back contests against the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames. It is nice to see he is back on track with an 11-save win, but it could have easily gone the other way.
Rangers are gaining momentum
This team is starting to gain momentum. The stink of last year's team is not the same stench. Over the first 13 games of the year, they have a record of 6-5-2 for 14 points, good enough for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
This is all without Trocheck, no emergence of Alexis Lafrenière and some prospects and younger players filling in the roster. Head coach Mike Sullivan is getting this team in shape, one game at a time. Once this team is fully healthy, there is a chance that they can make every expectation placed upon them a reality. The blueprint is seemingly there, now is the time to go on a win-streak and gain ground on the two Metro Division rivals ahead of them.