The New York Rangers took on the New York Islanders for the second time in less than a week. Like last Tuesday, the Blueshirts left the ice with a victory, this time winning 4-0. They move to 31-26-4 on the season and are now tied with the Detroit Red Wings. for the second East Wild Card spot.
Let's breakdown exactly how the Rangers got their latest loss with three key takeaways from the matchup.
1. Production From The Whole Lineup
The Rangers got production from everyone in the lineup. Will Cuylle scored his 17th goal of the season, assisted by Zac Jones and J.T. Miller. Cuylle and Sam Carrick assisted Will Borgen’s snipe. Miller also added a goal and Artemi Panarin finished the game off with an empty netter.
In addition to the scoring, the Rangers locked down defensively. Matt Rempe had four hits, and Alexis Lafreniere and Braden Schneider had three. Jones and Schneider both led the team with four blocks, followed by K'Andre Miller with three.
Going back to recent games, help from the entire roster has been pivotal. Brett Bedard, K’Andre Miller, Urho Vaakanainen, Jonny Brodzinski (two goals), and Rempe all have found the back of the net within the last four outings. These five players have a combined 19 goals on the season.
Having depth like this and being able to rely on everyone for production will be huge for New York’s playoff push and a possible postseason run.
2. Mika Zibanejad Shines
Mika Zibanejad continues to play great hockey. In the last 13 games, he has racked up 16 points and a +7 rating. He got off to an amazing start Monday, ripping shots all over the ice. Despite not capitalizing on his chances, his shot-first mentality is great to see. The confidence and power he showed in his release vs the Islanders will be huge for the offense going further.
3. Bad Penalties
New York had two bench minors for too many men on the ice. This is their third bench minor in the last three games and their No. 11 of the season, the most in the NHL. The Rangers were lucky they were playing against the worst power play in the league. Better offenses would take advantage of these silly penalties. If they want to be playing hockey in May, they'll have to tighten up this aspect of the game.
Up Next
The Rangers will look ahead to Wednesday as they take on the number one team in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals. New York will be seeking revenge against the Caps after losing the first two matchups this season. Puck drop at 7:30 pm EST.