Matthew Mugno and Jonny Lazarus provide a plethora of takeaways following the Rangers' significant victory.
Only one team stood in the Rangers way as top dog in the NHL. The Bruins team they defeated today. Our takeaways from the Rangers noteworthy triumph:
Matthew Mugno: The Rangers showed they can reset when facing adversity and multiple score changes. The Bruins tied the game down 2-0 and then tied the game at 3-3. In the second game of a back to back, the Rangers weren't phased and regained their lead and then blew the game open.
Jonny Lazarus: It got scary for a second when the Rangers saw their 2-0 lead evaporate, but I said earlier in the week that the loss against Dallas could actually be a positive. The Rangers had a 2-0 lead against a strong Dallas Stars team and let it slip away, then they totally collapsed. Tonight, when their lead slipped, they didn't fold, they found a way to respond.
MM: Jimmy Buckets. In the last handful of games Vesey is playing his brand of hockey that's made him valuable in NY. He has 3 goals in his last 5 games, shutting down opponents top lines and scoring in big moments. He was all smiles after the game , "I scored against them the first time at MSG last year. It definitely feels good."
JL: Getting scoring from guys that don't typically find the back of the net was huge in this game. The Rangers scored five goals at 5-on-5, with only one of the usual suspects (Artemi Panarin) tallying at even-strength. The other four scorers at even strength were Nick Bonino, Jimmy Vesey, K'Andre Miller, and Tyler Pitlick. That is HUGE, to get scoring from those players.
MM: This quote says it all about the locker room. Two week west coast trip? Historic sweep. Benchmark game against the Hurricanes? No Fox, no Chytil, no problem. The teams first return to NJ since the playoffs? A comeback victory. This is what K'Andre Miller said following todays game that put the team in 1st place:
JL: Jacob Trouba deserves all the praise in the world. He was a +4 today and has continued to step up his game night in and night out. Trouba is leading the NHL with 67 blocked shots while eating up minutes and finding ways to contribute offensively.
MM: Vincent Trocheck had 2 assists this afternoon, went 11/16 in the faceoff dot, and played the second most minutes on offense behind Zibanejad (18:21). He has points in 7 of his last 9 games and has saved the Rangers from needing a 2C replacement in place of Filip Chytil. It has to be grandmas meatballs...
JL: This may not have been Jonathan Quick's best performance, but he made the big saves when the team needed him to.
MM: Mika Zibanejad had an assist. He has a point in three straight games, a good sign for the Rangers 1C who has not produced at his average rate.
JL: Is there a better special teams player in the NHL right now than Chris Kreider?
MM: Jonny said it. Kreider stepped up in the big moment. He collected his 162nd goal at Madison Square Garden (regular season and playoffs combined). Thats good for second all time at the venue, 3 goals behind the legendary Rod Gilbert.
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