For the first 40 minutes of Sunday’s 4-0 win against the Nashville Predators, the New York Rangers looked like a playoff team. They dominated. Ignore the fact that they faced the third-worst team in the NHL, with the fewest goals scored through this point of the season.
This was a win that both showed the Rangers’ potential and what they’re lacking. Their stars — J.T. Miller, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad — had three points each. Panarin, who hadn’t scored since Feb. 5 and hadn’t put up a multi-point effort since Feb. 2, led New York with seven shots and was rewarded with the game-winning goal.
The Rangers also conceded 19 shots on goal in the third period. In a game they controlled for the first two periods, they somehow finished with the same shot total as their opponent — 34.
But a win is a win, and as head coach Peter Laviolette made clear in his postgame media availability, “We needed it.”
The Rangers have been on an express elevator up and down the Eastern Conference standings this week. They’ve approached the sky lobby of the Wild Card, then have dropped to the lobby at the brink of the playoff race. Such is life at this point of the season, and in a conference as tight as the East.
Here are three takeaways from the weekend that was:
Friday’s loss a reminder of where the Rangers stand
Sunday’s win followed a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, in which Shesterkin gave up three goals on 16 shots.
“Frustrating,” said Laviolette.
Indeed it was. Friday was a rare game in which the club dominated its opponent. They peppered Anthony Stolarz with 35 shots, but could not solve him a third time. The Rangers never led — both their goals, including Will Cuylle’s shorthanded tally early in the third period — tied the game.
“It’s tough,” said Cuylle. “Felt like we deserved a better result tonight. I think we outshot them two to one. Stings, obviously.”
With Adam Fox on the shelf for the foreseeable future and the Ryan Lindgren trade further weakening the blueshirts’ blue line, Shesterkin needs to step up as the last line of defense if the club hopes to get any closer to a playoff spot.
An effort like Friday’s, in which Shesterkin managed a meager .813 save percentage, isn’t good enough and gets the club nowhere.
Quick records shutout in 800th game
By contrast, the goaltending Sunday was superb. Jonathan Quick, who was playing in his 800th career NHL game, recorded a 34-save shutout.
“You take it one season at a time,” Quick said when asked about his lengthy NHL career to date. “One game at a time, enjoy being here every day with these guys, coming to work every day. So, just kind of enjoy the moment.”
Yes, it was against the league’s worst offense. But he also made several key saves to protect the Rangers’ lead, including one on Jonathan Marchessault on a Nashville power play in the third period — one of the 19 saves he came up with in the final frame.
No save was more impressive than his one on Nick Blankenburg. Blankenburg had deked out Quick, but the Rangers’ goalie spun around and got his stick on the puck, preventing the Predators’ defenseman from scoring an easy tap-in.
“Just desperate,” Quick laughed. “I know he’s got to bring it back in front of the goal line to put it in the net, so I’m just trying to get anything over there to try to get a piece.”
The trade deadline and the club’s direction
In trading Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey on Saturday and holding out Reilly Smith on Sunday, the Rangers accept that their chances of going on a deep playoff run this year are slim.
Both players are valuable to Stanley Cup contenders — Lindgren for his physical play, and Smith for his playoff experience with the Vegas Golden Knights. Both are pending unrestricted free agents, meaning that if the Rangers were to keep them, they would do so with a Stanley Cup in mind, letting both walk for free this summer. The Lindgren trade brought back Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan and a pair of draft picks — a useful haul for the Rangers that fills Lindgren’s spot in the lineup and gets them some extra draft capital.
The Rangers have 64 points, and sit fourth in the Wild Card behind the Ottawa Senators, who have earned the same point total in one less game. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings remain in control of the two remaining playoff spots — though the gap is tight.
To illustrate how close the standings are, the Rangers face the eighth seed in the Wild Card race, the New York Islanders, on Monday. Only three points separate the two New York teams.
As this weekend showed, the standings can fluctuate by the hour. It’s likely the deck will be shuffled more by Friday afternoon’s trade deadline — though this shouldn’t impact the Rangers’ direction of looking to contend next year at the earliest.
