The Rangers entered their home tilt against the St. Louis Blues riding a four-game losing streak that threatened to derail the positive momentum they had built to start the season. More importantly, Rangers de facto starting goaltender Dylan Garand was eager to get back in the crease following his poor showing against the Edmonton Oilers this past Sunday. He certainly didn't disappoint.
The Rangers handed the Blues plenty of opportunities on the power play, testing the young netminder throughout the night. St. Louis finished with six power plays, and the Rangers shut them down on every one of them, improving their penalty kill to an impressive 89%, which ranks third in the NHL.
Garand was solid and composed throughout the game. He repeatedly flashed his glove hand and smothered pucks when the Blues began to surge offensively. This was a promising development in his game. When he's struggled in the past, he's been prone to giving up juicy rebounds that leave his defensemen scrambling and opposing teams salivating for second-chance opportunities.
That was not the case last night. Garand commanded his crease and controlled rebounds effectively from start to finish.
While Garand held down the fort defensively, the offense did its part as well. During a stretch in which the Blues applied sustained pressure in the Rangers' zone, New York countered with a rush that resulted in a Tye Kartye feed to a streaking Adam Fox. Fox buried his second goal and recorded his 19th point of the season, continuing what appears to be a mission to silence the narrative of his much-too-early decline.
Fox scored the Rangers' all-important first goal of the game. Following the victory, New York improved to 8-1-0 when scoring first this season. Conversely, they have yet to win a game in which they surrendered the opening goal. They are the only team in the NHL yet to win a game after their opponents have scored first.
It's an interesting early-season statistic, and the sample size is beginning to say something about this team's identity. The lone loss when scoring first came against the Capitals, when the Rangers carried a 1-0 lead into the second period before losing franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the season. In that context, it's hard to blame the team for being rattled by such a dramatic turn of events.
When the Rangers aren't chasing the game and can stick to their structure, they're a formidable opponent. They force opponents to earn every inch of ice. Head coach Mike Sullivan has undoubtedly taken notice and has repeatedly emphasized the importance of staying within the team's system. When they do, they are capable of beating anyone on any given night.
As the game progressed, the pace picked up. The Blueshirts established a consistent net-front presence from the second period onward, particularly with the newly constructed line combinations put together by Sullivan.
Tye Kartye, one of the most impactful additions brought in by GM Chris Drury, continues to remind me of Ryan Callahan with his grit and willingness to do the dirty work around the net and in the corners. It doesn't hurt that he's also wearing No. 24, the former number of "Captain Cally."
Will Cuylle, playing his first game as an NHL center, was tenacious throughout the contest and found his way onto the scoresheet. Using his long reach, he forced a turnover that created a short-handed 3-on-1 rush. Cuylle fed the puck across to Eeli Tolvanen, who then made a slick pass to Oliver Bjorkstrand. Bjorkstrand buried his sixth goal of the season past a helpless Joel Hofer, giving the Rangers a two-goal lead and igniting the home crowd.
The only blemish on an otherwise stellar night came when Garand's shutout bid was spoiled with 57 seconds left in the game. Pius Suter scored to make it a 3-1 final, but it hardly mattered. Moments after the goal, the Madison Square Garden faithful showed their support for their young starter with loud chants of "DY-LAN! DY-LAN!"
The fans have clearly developed a love affair with their goaltender, and the feeling appears to be mutual.When Garand was deservedly named the No. 1 star of the game, he was interviewed on the bench for the entire arena to hear and delivered exactly the kind of quote Rangers fans love.
"I love this team, I love playing here, I love this city, and I love these fans." The Garden erupted once again in cheers and adoration as fans made their way to the exits.
The good vibes were on full display last night, and the boys in blue delivered..
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