Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
The Rangers have been searching for goals. They have only collected ten goals in their last six games with five coming during usual 5-on-5 play. Only racking up two goals in their last two games and both turning out to be one goal losses. However, when coach Alain Vigneault switched up the lines, the players came onto the ice looking ready to play.
The Rangers took the ice on Sunday night in Madison Square Garden for a match-up with the Ottawa Senators with the new lines that put some kick in their skates.
Rookie center Oscar Lindberg, with three goals in his last five games, took the first line to center Rick Nash and Chris Kreider. Kevin Hayes moved and joined duo, center Derick Brassard and forward Mats Zuccarello, on left wing for the next line; center Dom Moore who left the game having won over 90% of his face-offs, the first by a player in a game since 2006, took the third line and centered forwards J.T Miller and Jesper Fast. The fourth line had Jarret Stoll centering Viktor Stalberg, and the recent return to the team from the AHL, Tanner Glass.
In goal, star goalie Henrik Lundqvist stopped 23 of the 24 shots made by the Senators, and helped lead the team to a 4-1 victory. The win revitalized the team, bringing the Rangers’ back into focus.
The first goal of the night was made by defenseman and captain Ryan McDonagh at 8:40 in the first period during a power play, defenseman Keith Yandle and forward Chris Kreider received assists on the goal. Continuing the scoring, Brassard notched another power play goal at 13:47 in the first period, giving McDonagh and Nash assists on the goal. This goal was the first of Brassard’s two-goal game.
The Rangers took advantage of the two power play opportunities they received early in the game, and notched themselves a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period.
The Blueshirts racked up two power play goals in the game; the second time they’ve done that this season. The second period gave the Sens their first, and only, goal of the game when defenseman Marc Methot got the puck passed Lundqvist at 6:01. By the end of the second period the Rangers were leading 2-1, but notched two more goals in the third period to seal the deal through a final period of good play.
The third period brought the second two goals for the Blueshirts. Brassard grabbed his second goal and this team goal at 10:08 in the third period after receiving a pass from McDonagh, getting through the Sens’ defense and sending a hard slap shot towards the goal. McDonagh and the other half of the defensive pair Dan Girardi received assists on the goal.
The third period was the Rangers’ strongest period of the game. The team worked the ice, outplaying the Senators who had just come off a winning overtime game at home the night before against the New York Islanders. The Rangers’ defensive play masked the offensive attempts made by the Senators, allowing them only three shots in the last period.
When the Senators pulled their goalie, Craig Anderson, from the ice in an attempt to get some scoring chances the Rangers took the opportunity to score their fourth and final goal. The moment Fast got his stick to the puck, with 1:31 left in game time, he made a shot towards the empty goal, getting the puck in the net, and sealing the team’s victory.
The mixed-up lines gave the Rangers’ play a new surge of life and propelled them towards a win. The 4-1 win has been the Rangers’ strongest play in their last few games. The fans, and the team themselves, hope that the good and dominating play will continue over the next few games during the team’s trip to Canada. The Blueshirts will be in Vancouver for a match-up against the Canucks on Wednesday.
