The Rangers snapped a four game losing streak on Thursday night after defeating the Boston Bruins 2-1 at home thanks to goals from Mika Zibanejad and Brett Berard, and a 32-save performance from Jonathan Quick in goal. The Blueshirts were on the ice for practice today, and head coach Peter Laviolette spoke to the media afterward regarding the team's performance and mood.
When asked about the importance of the win for the team, Laviolette remarked that
""We gotta build off of it — I mean it was good, it was last night, it was a win but it's over. Now we're headed on the road to Washington for a couple big games ... We've gotta make sure some more points continue to come.""Peter Laviolette, Rangers Head Coach
Building on this win is incredibly important to the momentum of the season for the Rangers. The Blueshirts haven't won two games in a row since their victories over the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 17 and Nov. 19 Securing two points against the number one team in the Metropolitan Division on Saturday would be the perfect way to start working back toward consistent victories for the reigning President's Trophy winners.
Laviolette also reflected on what it means for the team to have the veteran presence of Jonathan Quick in goal as the team tries to make a run at a playoff spot before the season ends.
""When Jonathan goes in the net, I think there's a tremendous amount of confidence in how he plays the game and what he's done for us — and throughout the course of his career. He's a top 10 goaltender and he's come here and played really well for us, so there's a lot of confidence there.""Peter Laviolette, Rangers Head Coach
Quick helped secure the Rangers first win since Dec. 20, putting up a .970 save percentage against the Bruins, while allowing just one goal against. The veteran goalie will be leaned on heavily in the coming games, as regular starter Igor Shesterkin is out with an upper-body injury.
OH MY JONATHAN QUICK 👀 pic.twitter.com/FoYEvSNkim
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 3, 2025
Laviolette's comments seemed cautiously optimistic following the Rangers win. The Blueshirts are going to have to string together some wins at some point if their intention is to make the playoffs, and their back-to-back games this weekend in Washington and Chicago offer the perfect opportunity.