Another day, another shutout for the New York Rangers. 

This time it came from Igor Shesterkin as he helped lead the team to a 4-0 win over the New York Islanders. 

The hero of the first period had to go be Will Cuylle. He scored the game’s first goal off of his head while taking a hit that led to Will Borgen’s shorthanded goals and gave the Rangers a commanding 2-0 lead. 

“He’s been really good,” Peter Laviolette said of Cuylle. “His speed, his physicality, the fact that he’s chipped in offense all year. He’s been a big part of the penalty kill now. His role just keeps expanding and he’s growing into it and certainly had an impact in the game tonight. The goal was a real beauty, one he’ll probably remember for the rest of his life, but really strong game by him.”

The score remained 2-0 until J.T. Miller chipped in with a beautifully looking goal in the third period. 

Miller has now recorded eight points in his last five games. He’s been fitting in with the Rangers exceptionally well and seems to have returned back to his superstar form that we all got to know in love. 

Moreover, the Rangers’ first line of Miller, Cuylle and Mika Zibanejad have been a force to be reckoned with. Miller and Zibanejad’s chemistry continues to get better and better while Cuylle is thriving playing alongside two great offensive minds. 

The Rangers held a multi-goal lead for a large part of the night and that was because of Shesterkin and a tight defensive performance. 

The Bluehshirts didn’t allow an abundance of high-quality scoring chances, which allowed Shesterkin to settle in well. 

“I thought we were really good,” Laviolette said. “Shesty was good, made big saves when we needed him to. I thought we were really good in front of him. Guys were heavy right in front of him, blocked shots, heavy on sticks, eliminated second opportunities when it got scrambly right in that slot area. I thought our guys really cracked down hard.”

For the first time in what feels like a long time, the Rangers are tied for a playoff spot. They currently sit with 66 points, tied with the Detroit Red Wings for that second wild card.

With every game and every point so important at this point in the season, the Rangers have been heating up at the right time. 

You can see their confidence growing and the team is starting to evolve for the better, something we couldn’t have predicted during the dark days of December.

“We give ourselves a chance to win,” Zibanejad said. “I don’t think we shoot ourselves in the foot in the same way, maybe we have done it before… The two points and getting wins, that kind of builds the confidence in the room as well. 

“We’re playing simple. I don’t think we're panicking that much. They have momentum, let's try to break it. Don’t bend, don't break.”

The Rangers will be back in action on Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals.