After starting the season 5-0-1, the Rangers had gone 4-4 in their next eight games and were looking for answers to their pedestrian play of late. Sometimes you can find those answers by keeping it simple.
Mika Zibanejad, Jimmy Vesey and Vincent Trocheck scored second period goals and the Rangers hung on for a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks at Madison Square Garden last night.
Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves including four big ones in the final minutes as they had to hold off a pesky Sharks (5-10-3) team that did not quit.
The Rangers (10-4-1) seemed to be going through the motions until midway through the second when they started to get pucks to the net.
“We just made quicker plays, shorter plays or longer plays when we needed to and put it past them and we executed, then we attacked from underneath,” Coach Peter Laviolette said. “I also thought we got moving better in the offensive zone in the second period.”
The Rangers started to play a simpler game of hockey and Zibanejad ended an eight game drought without a goal when he tied the game at 11:41 of the second.
Riley Smith passed to Adam Fox on the right side. Fox took a shot that was saved by Sharks goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, but he couldn’t control the puck and Zibanejad was opportunistic as he buried the rebound into an open net for his first goal in nine games.
“It was a good play by Smitty [Riley Smith], Foxy [Adam Fox] shot it. Tried to go to the net, tried to find a rebound and it popped out,” Zibanejad said.
It was a big goal for Zibanejad who has come under question for his early season struggles, most notably in the previous game where he was a -4 in the loss to the red hot Winnipeg Jets.
“It was a big goal because it got us going and it did put some life on the bench and in the building. Everybody’s waiting for us to do more, create more and score more so that got us going,” said Laviolette. “He’s a guy that we count on to produce and I thought he played a good game tonight.”
Less than two minutes later, Vesey backhanded the puck past Blackwood to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. Vesey’s initial shot came right to him in the slot and he was able to find the back of the net for his second goal of the season.
Vesey, who missed time earlier this season and appeared in only his fifth game, is playing on the fourth line with Adam Edstrom and Sam Carrick. It’s taking some time, but that line seems to be coming together.
“He’s [Vesey] jumped right in, kind of seamlessly for me and that line has been very good,” said Laviolette. “Eddie [Edstrom] brings speed and some physicality, Sam [Carrick], he’s a bit of a bulldog out there and Jimmy brings some skill that kinda meshes in both styles to that. They’ve been an effective line for us.”
Trocheck was able to complete the three goal trifecta to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead. Artemi Panarin gave Trocheck a beautiful feed that went right onto his stick and he was able to deflect it past Blackwood for his fourth goal of the season.
Zibanejad said the Rangers got back to playing their game in the second period.
“I think we were smarter with the way we forechecked and the way we kinda contained, not giving as many odd man rushes up,” he said. “When you get the consistent o-zone time, especially in the second period, teams just want to get it out and get a change so you’re able to get a momentum swing that way.”
San Jose pulled their goaltender late in the third and cashed in a 6 on 4 power play advantage to cut the lead to one with :27 seconds left, but the Rangers were able to close it down to seal an important and much needed win.
Coming into the game, the Sharks had been outscored 22-6 in the first period but they scored the first goal of the game.
The puck came to San Jose defenseman Timothy Liljegren at the left point. His shot deflected off of Vesey’s stick and took a fortunate path as it glided by a number of bodies and past Shesterkin to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 2:51 of the first period.
The only downer of the game came in the second period when hard luck center Filip Chytil collided with K’Andre Miller along the left wing boards.
Chytil left the bench for the locker room and returned for one more shift in the second period, but he did not return for the third and was ruled out of the game with an “upper body injury.” The Rangers are holding their collective breaths because Chytil has missed extensive time and played a total of 24 regular season games the past two seasons due to a history of concussions.
“Day to day, getting evaluated right now,” was the way it was categorized by Laviolette after the game.
Rangers will embark on a four game, Western swing beginning Sunday night in Seattle. Then, on alternate days, they’ll play in Vancouver, Calgary and finish it off in Edmonton a week from Saturday.