It was quite interesting to listen to members of the Rangers' leadership group speak to the media after their most recent loss to the Ottawa Senators, and both Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller had different takes on what transpired. They weren't the only ones to offer an opinion on the game, and the mindset of rookie forward Gabe Perreault is something that should give fans hope for the future.
Gabe Perreault had perfect mindset when speaking with media
Following the game he was asked about his feelings about scoring on a nice 2-on-1 sequence, and his answer showed the type of maturity and leadership that the Rangers are going to need going forward. Perreault remarked, "It's nice to get one, but at the end of the day, we lost, so it doesn't really matter."
Perreault wears jersey number 94, and it is hard to not look at that number and think of the 1994 team which is the last time the Rangers hoisted the Stanley Cup. His number is a reminder of the past, and his status as the team's top prospect represents what the future could hold. For him to answer the way he did was impressive, as the game was one of the most significant of his career as a NHL player to date.
In the 8-4 loss to Ottawa, Perreault scored two goals, and the marks the first multi-goal game of his career. The pair of goals also marked the first two times he ever scored at Madison Square Garden, and fans hope that there are many more goals to come. Wednesday's loss was Perreault's 15th game of the season, and he now has a line of 3-4-7 while averaging just 14:17 per night.
The hope is that moving forward Perreault will get a bump in ice time and responsibility as the team's playoff chances continue to dwindle. It is very important to get a sense of what Perreault is capable of, because if he's not as far along as the team would like him to be, that changes the equation in terms of moves that will need to be made in retooling the team.
This is not to say that Perreault should be rushed, but there are certainly some benchmarks that the team will want him to hit as he continues to develop. The best way of assessing him is giving him more minutes, and there's no reason not to as this point. Mike Sullivan has already started that process by moving him up to the team's second line, and the next big step could involve giving him a chance on the top power play unit.