The New York Rangers got their much-anticipated first home win on Monday night. They pounded the Nashville Predators 6-3 in Vincent Trocheck’s return to the lineup. Trocheck evidently sparked the Blueshirts, notching two assists in the game.
With the 500-pound monkey off their backs, the Rangers can now go ahead with the business of playing up to their potential. That’s something fans got to see on Monday night. Now, some may argue the six-goal outburst came against a struggling Predators club.
Well, that’s precisely the point. The Rangers walloped a floundering club. While it may have been more impressive to hammer the Vegas Golden Knights or Colorado Avalanche, the win over the Predators was dominant.
The two late goals did raise a little bit of concern, but the game was well in hand by then. So, the overall outcome could be the beginning of a major turnaround for the Rangers. The thing is that it’s not that the Rangers have been bad. It’s that they’ve been inconsistent. Part of that inconsistency has been dealing with injuries. That’s why Trocheck’s return was crucial.
Now that Trocheck is back, Mike Sullivan can set up his forward group more to his liking. That situation could be far more conducive to the Rangers stringing together more consistent outings.
Rangers getting Vezina-caliber goaltending from Igor Shesterkin
A significant element in that turnaround is Igor Shesterkin. He’s been lights-out this season, showing why he’s a Vezina-caliber goalie. At this point in the season, Sheskterkin should be in the midst of the Vezina conversation.
The Rangers netminder has a 2.46 GAA and a .909 SV% with one shutout. Those numbers may not be mind-boggling, but they are watered down by a six-goal game against the San Jose Sharks and a five-game performance against the Calgary Flames.
Beyond that, Shesterkin has kept the Rangers in the fight the entire season. He made 36 saves against the Edmonton Oilers on October 30 and pitched a 37-save shutout against the Buffalo Sabres on October 9.
Shesterkin has even had his share of tough-luck losses. He gave up one goal against the Oilers in a 2-0 loss on October 14, and then surrendered two in an overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 16.
If the Rangers had given Shesterkin more gosl support, the club could easily be in first place in the Metro Division.
Of course, there’s no sense in crying over spilled milk. That’s why it’s best to put the first six weeks or so in the rearview and focus on the road ahead. Monday’s effort was a good example of that run support. The six-spot made Shesterkin’s night much easier. While the Blueshirts won’t be scoring six goals per game, timely scoring should go a long way towards helping the Rangers stay above water and gain traction moving forward.