New faces. Warriors gone. Backup goalies in net. Last night could have been ugly. Instead, the Rangers 4-0 win over Nashville was one of the more complete Rangers victories this season. Nashville isn’t exactly the best team in the world, so the true test will be on Wednesday against the Capitals, but it looks like the Rangers are already better off with the youth and by adding a guy who can actually skate to the blue line. Neat.
First and foremost, congratulations to Jonathan Quick. Playing in his 800th game, Quick collected his 63rd shutout to help keep the Rangers in the playoff conversation. Nashville unloaded in the third period, and Quick was forced to make some fantastic saves as the Rangers essentially turtled. Quick turned back the clock with several acrobatic saves reminiscent of a time period we won’t mention.
The third period was a bit rough for the Rangers, but overall the new defense pairs did a good job keeping the puck out of high danger areas, making things a bit easier for Quick. Calvin de Haan in particular was noticeable, as he plays a steady defensive game and still makes a strong first pass. Even without Adam Fox, the Rangers were balanced on the blue line, and every pair had a combination of defense and puck moving ability. It was a welcomed change from years past.
Up front, the top line looked revitalized last night. Alexis Lafreniere had some extra giddyup in his step, threading the needle to Artemi Panarin for the first goal of the game. Lafreniere has slumped since signing his massive contract extension, and it’s been frustrating to watch. It appears the monkey is off his back though, and this line will be critical to any success this season.
More importantly, that line is needed to complement the new second line of Will Cuylle-JT Miller-Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad seems to have found a new home on the wing, likely extending his career and possibly his tenure in New York. The bottom six looks solid and will only improve if/when Adam Edstrom returns. If the top-six can start scoring regularly, then we might be in for an interesting March and April.
