The run to the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins in under a week and the New York Rangers are playing their best hockey at the perfect time.
New York overwhelmed the struggling Blue Jackets on the road in Columbus thanks to Igor Shesterkin’s 20 saves in a 4-0 final Saturday night.
A day after recording the 500th game played of his career, Jimmy Vesey got the scoring started for the Rangers in Columbus in the first period. Just two minutes after, Chris Kreider finally finished a loose puck in front of the net for his 36th goal of the season.
The Rangers took their 2-0 lead into the second where the reigning Vezina winner stiffled a Blue Jackets team focused on securing the highest odds for the number one overall selection and the rights to draft Connor Bedard. Columbus is tied with Chicago for the least amount of points won during the season to this point with three regular season games left to play.
In the third, Niko Mikkola scored his first goal as a member of the Rangers to extend their lead to 3-0. It was the former Blue’s first goal since last season when he was still a member of St. Louis. Vincent Trocheck followed later in the period for his 22nd of the year and sured up the third win of the last four tries to start the month of April for the Blueshirts.
For Shesterkin, the victory was his third shutout of the 2022-23 season and his 37th win – passing the number he reached when he won the top goaltender award last season. Over the last five games, the Rangers’ netminder has recorded a save percentage over .900% in each contest.
New York has their sights set on getting ready for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs though. With New Jersey just two points ahead of New York for second place in the Metro, New York could still secure the home-ice advantage in the first round should they win out and the rival Devils lose out.
The win moved the Rangers to 47-21-12 on the season and their 106th point recorded on the season. They will be back on the ice Monday night when they battle the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden.
Game Notes
- Patrick Kane returned to the Rangers lineup after a two-game hiatus. New York had kept their recent trade acquisition out over the last two games due to a lower-body injury that has been considered a “maintenance issue.”
- The Blueshirts have been dominant on the road all year and Saturday night was no exception. New York moved to 24-9-8 away from Madison Sqaure Garden. The mark was similar to last year’s 25-14-2 mark that the team used going into the playoffs in 2021-22.
- Mikkola’s goal was off an assist from Mika Zibanejad. The two-assist night from Zibanejad sets him just two behind his own career-high that he set last season. He’s already increased his career-high in points to 89.
- Trocheck’s final period goal was the 63rd point of the season for the Rangers offseason acquisition. The point total is the second most Trocheck has had in his career and best mark since the 2017-18 season (75).
