Alexis Lafreniere now has three goals and four assists in his last four games. His effort tonight helped the Rangers defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in exciting fashion.
NEW YORK, NY -- The New York Rangers were down, but not out as they should a ton of urgency and resilience in the third period. It seemed like they weren't going to find a way, but Alexis Lafreniere's heroics got them not only one, but two points this evening.
LINEUP:
Kreider-Zibanejad-Wheeler
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere
Cuylle-Bonino-Kakko
Vesey-Goodrow-Pitlick
Miller-Trouba
Lindgren-Gustafsson
Jones-Schneider
Quick
1ST PERIOD:
The opening frame didn't have a ton of action to report on in the early going. The Rangers defensemen looked very active offensively, but it was costing them in their own end as they were guilty of allowing some odd man rushes at the start of the game.
Jonathan Quick had a very strong start to this one, making two pretty key saves in the opening minutes.
Rangers head coach, Peter Laviolette said a couple of weeks ago that the team is going to have find different ways to win. I asked him after tonight's game I asked him what it says about the group that they continue to find a way to win, no matter who is in goal.
Laviolette told me "Ultimately right, it's a team sport. Right now guys are going into a game just expecting to win a hockey game. Louis [Domingue] played great for us, Jonathan's [Quick] played great the entire season. He was really good tonight. There was some big saves he made. I don't think we were particularly sharp to start the second period. I thought we got going after the power plays. I thought we go going and we picked it up, but there was still big saves that hade to be made. They only had three shots in the third period and one of them was a real tester and he was up to the task on that one. So he stayed focus inside of that third period which sometimes is hard to keep on point like that. All three goalies that we've played have been really good and like you said, the team keeps finding a way to get it done."
Jacob Trouba, who's been excellent this season, got the fans on their feet with a big open ice hit on Kirill Marchenko.
The hit resulted in a roughing penalty, which the Rangers killed off. Shortly after, Columbus would find the games opening goal when Justin Danforth got a stick on a shot from the point by Erik Gudbranson.
Late in the period, the Rangers scored a huge goal off of a rush led by Blake Wheeler. Wheeler found a streaking Erik Gustafsson who passed up a Grade-A scoring chance and found Chris Kreider open for the one-timer to tie things up at 1-1.
This goal extended Gustafsson's point streak to four games and gave Wheeler points in back-to-back games.
The first period ended tied at 1-1.
2ND PERIOD:
Columbus put on most of the pressure in the middle frame, but Quick continued to have an answer for them every time.
The Rangers would get their first power play opportunity midway through the period. The first unit got some great looks, generating four shots on goal on that attempt. Zibanejad couldn't find a way to beat Merzlikins, but he had a couple of high quality chances.
Even though the power play didn't convert, the Rangers best line would come through yet again.
Trocheck has been running away with the opportunity of playing with Lafreniere and Panarin. In his last four games, he has recorded three goals and four assists for seven points.
The second line has been clicking the last four games.
That said, Columbus would score two goals in 19 seconds to regain the lead. Adam Fantilli scored his first goal at MSG, tying things up off of a created turnover. Then, after the Rangers failed to clear the zone on a face-off, Sean Kuraly cleaned up a loose rebound, giving all the momentum back to the Blue Jackets.
You have to give the Blue Jackets credit. This was their third game in four nights and they were playing toe-to-toe with a well rested Ranger group.
With 1:37 left in the period, there was a very, and I mean very, long video review after a Will Cuylle sharp-angle shot. It appeared the puck clearly crossed the goal line, but the referee stated that when the play was frozen, the puck had not completely went in.
Personally, I was very surprised by this call. I usually sympathize with the Referees, but this one was a real head scratcher for me. It appeared to me that the puck was in the net before the Ref had put his hands up.
Quick made another outstanding save at the end of the middle period, keeping the score at 3-2 going into the third.
3RD PERIOD:
The Rangers had an early chance on the power play, but it came at a price. Ryan Lindgren received scary hit to the head from Kuraly. The hit was initially called a Major for Boarding, but was reduced to two-mintes.
Lindgren skated off gingerly.
After a Danforth high-sticking call, the Rangers would get a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:09.
The Rangers failed to capitalize on either power play attempt.
With that said, the Rangers certainly played with a ton of urgency in the third period.
They were firing everything toward Merzlikins, but it seemed like they weren't going to find a way to tie it up.
Until, who else, but Lafreniere made the magic happen.
Panarin through the puck towards the net, Kreider had the awareness to bump the puck to an open Lafreniere who tapped it home.
Panarin had eight shots on goal at this point of the game. I had a funny encounter with him after the game.
OVERTIME:
The teams traded chances in overtime, the best chance being a post hit by Gustafsson. However, neither team could find a game winner which meant that this game would need a shootout.
SHOOTOUT:
With the way the night was going, it only made sense that Lafreniere would be the hero. He had a gorgeous move to for the shootout winner.
I had a funny encounter with Lafreniere in the locker room after the game. Well, I thought it was funny at least.
This team continues finding ways to win. Now that they have a couple of days off to rest, it will be interesting to see how they come out against their rival, the New Jersey Devils next Saturday night.
For now, they can enjoy this one.