New York Rangers make it back to back wins at home against the Seattle Kraken

It came in an unconventional way but thanks to the efforts of *checks notes" Blake Wheeler, who enjoyed a two goal game, the New York Rangers have made it two wins in a row. It was a much needed win for the Rangers, and the organization has some positives to take with them into this long Western road trip. This was everything the Rangers needed, and they can build on this moving forward.

It would start on the powerplay as Artemi Panarin would bring the puck into the zone. He would fire it into the slot like a laser for Vincent Trocheck, and the second line center of the Rangers just guided the puck home to get the puck home, and give the Blueshirts an early lead. Settling the nerves early was big in this one and the Rangers could now start to put some distance between the two teams.

This lasted all of a minute, as the Seattle forced a turnover in neutral ice. A pretty passing play allowed the Kraken to go from Oliver Bjorkstrand, to Jared McCann, and finally over to Jordan Eberle, who would deposit the puck into the net past Igor Shesterkin. Tie game afte just a poor turnover and then a bad defensive recovery.

New York would work the puck into the Kraken zone. As the Blueshirts tried their much loved backdoor feed, the Kraken cut the pass out and kicked it away towards the point. Erik Gustafsson promptly picked up the loose puck, and fired the biscuit home to restore the Rangers lead about a minute after the Kraken tied the game.

Braden Schneider and Jonny Brodzinki played catch at the point. Eventually, Brodzinski had a shot, that the elder statesman of the team was able to deflect home past the Seattle netminder. Wheeler's first goal of the game that would eventually prove to be the game winner was a good start to turning this game around and getting back into the driving seat for the Rangers, after a sluggish start to the second.

Then, the Rangers broadway script was leaked, and the Blueshirts got the perfect story. New York would rush up the ice, as Mika Zibanejad played a long pass to Chris Kreider. Kreider would drop it back to Mika rushing up the ice. Zibanejad, on the backhand, would fire a pass over to Kaapo Kakko in his second game back from injury, and the Finnish youngster made up for lost time putting that one home.

Jared McCann would score on the powerplay after Jordan Eberle entered the zone cleanly and gave it over to the boards for McCann. New York's penalty ill was simply too timid, and the Rangers allowed the best Kraken forward to walk in and put the puck home off a deflection, and the Rangers now suddenly had to tighten up if they didn't want to see this lead evaporate too.

Fortunately, Blake Wheeler would hit the empty net, making it a two goal game for the American. New York wins in the end. It wasn't pretty, but it didn't need to be. It was effective enough to get the Blueshirts the two points they needed ahead of a long western conference road swing.