The mark of a good team is the ability to win games where things may not be going your way. For the New York Rangers, Tuesday night was more than just things not going their way.
New York hit the post four separate times but were able to outlast the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime 1-0 thanks to a Chris Kreider breakaway goal in the closing seconds of the extra period.
“I thought we played great…guys played well and really hard. The goaltending was outstanding, Shesty was really good at the end but it was a battle.” Gerard Gallant told reporters after the game.
The Rangers dominated the stat sheet Tuesday night besides the low scoring total. With timely powerplay execution and excellent shot selections, they continued to pound the injured Flyers squad to a 36-19 shot differential.
Yet Carter Hart was more than up to the task early and often Tuesday night.
The former second-round pick may have struggled through the last two seasons of his young career but had gotten off to a quick 5-0-1 start to the 2022-23 campaign. It was more of the same Tuesday evening. Hart withstood an offensive barrage from the Rangers with a little puck luck as well. Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere each hit the post on four shots throughout the game leading to frustration throughout the entire club.
“I think everybody’s played long enough to know that kind of is what it is. It’s obviously four good looks and opportunities. They go in and we’re having a different conversation.” Jacob Trouba said after the win.
Through three periods, the Rangers struggled to find an answer for Carter Hart and the net. Only until the waning minutes of the contest did Mika Zibanejad find Kreider on a breakaway in overtime to score the only goal needed to come away victorious.
“I was chasing all over the ice.” Zibanejad told AMNY after the game. “Luckily they missed the net. I feel that it’s usually how it goes, you get one odd-man rush, and then it goes the other way. I don’t know if that counts as a pass, I just put it in there and he took care of the rest.”
Zibanejad was all smiles after his “hail-mary” pass to Kreider moved the Rangers back into the Metropolitan division lead at 6-3-2.
Like Jacob Trouba, Zibanejad understood the missed chances on offense for the Rangers were part of the game and ultimately led to the team regrouping and finding a way to win. For Kreider, his game-winner was the second career overtime goal and first since the 2016-17 season.
Tuesday’s win marked the end of the Ranges three-game home losing streak. New York has now won three games in a row after dropping five of six and will face off against the Boston Bruins Thursday night in the second of four straight home games.
Game Notes
- Before Tuesday’s contest, Gerard Gallant said that Filip Chytil is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Vitali Kravtsov also did not play but is expected to be out a week with an upper-body injury of his own.
- While New York dominated for much of the game, a key moment took place to start the third period. Shortly after the second period ended, a large scrum took place that saw Ryan Lindgren and Julien Gauthier start the third in the penalty box for roughing. The Rangers killed off the penalty and were able to sustain momentum.
- Igor Shesterkin had a quiet night but recorded his first shutout of the season. The Russian goaltender saved all 19 shots he saw and moved his consecutive game-point streak to eight games.
