For the first time all season, the Rangers had a must win in regulation game and they delivered. A complete team win when they needed it the most, they made Igor Shesterkin’s life easy despite ceding possession for most of the game. Shesterkin only needed to make 21 saves, mostly low danger shots. Last night was a defensive clinic when the Rangers needed it the most.
Last night was also the long awaited return of Adam Fox since going on IR in late February. While he used this game to get back into the flow of things, the defensive pairings looked so much better tonight with him back in the lineup. Getting an assist on the night was just a cherry on top as well.
Igor Shesterkin, specifically his contract, has been the focus of much discussion this season. No matter how you feel, this is the kind of game expected from Shesterkin. He was calm, cool, and collected, swallowing pucks instead of letting up rebounds, and gave the Rangers the confidence to take chances on offense en route to his fifth shutout of the season.
Without knowing what’s on the mind of Peter Laviolette, I think he has to seriously consider starting Shesterkin in the second half of this back to back against the Oilers. The team is fighting for their playoff lives. Quick is a great backup option, but they need wins and Shesterkin gives them the best chance.
With 11 points in his last 8 games, Artemi Panarin is getting hot at the right time. The Rangers currently sit in a playoff spot, though barely, and Panarin will be the key guy to keep the hopes alive. He not only needs to be the guys to get them there, but he needs to be the guy that carries them through a wide open Eastern Conference. The offense still runs through him with such ease at 33 years old.
Fueling Panarin’s streak is the duo of JT Miller and Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad has found new life at 1RW, a position of need for 4 years. Turns out the Rangers instead needed to find a 1C, instead of a 1RW, and had Miller fall into their laps. Zibanejad showed a heartbeat before the trade, but now he is alive and well with Miller at his side. Alexis Lafreniere’s goal was the product of Zibanejad’s forecheck, something we didn’t see until the move to wing.
Perhaps Zibanejad is the next Steven Stamkos/Claude Giroux who transitions to the wing and becomes a dominant force, which bodes well for the Rangers. It’s funny how things work out sometimes, isn’t it?
