Jonny Lazarus and Matthew Mugno provide their takeaways from the Rangers 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs last night.
The New York Rangers (22-7-1) defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs (16-7-6) 5-2 on Tuesday, winning 4 of their last 5 games and 7 of their last 10.
Our takeaways:
Jonny Lazarus: We've talked about it multiple times this year with Peter Laviolette. In almost every big win of the season, there seems to be somebody new stepping up and contributing. Last night, it was Braden Schneider. I haven't seen Schneider make a play like that yet in his early career. He picked his spot and took advantage of it. As great of an individual effort as it was, to me it also says a lot about Laviolette. How often do you see a team's sixth defensemen attempt an end-to-end rush, in a tie hockey game in the third period? Doesn't happen much. Laviolette shows a ton of faith in all of his players, whereas most coaches would probably want a guy like Schneider to gain the red line and get the puck deep. That was a hell of a play.
Matthew Mugno: Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves on 33 shots. He's allowed just 3 goals on the last 55 shots against him. He had a colder stretch but these numbers are encouraging.
JL: Listen, last night was the exact kind of performance that Shesterkin needed and I don't care what anyone says - Auston Matthews is most likely scoring on any goalie in the league from where he took those shots. In his last two starts, Shesterkin is 2-0-0 with a 1.48 goals against average and a .945 save percentage. Keep in mind, those numbers come against very strong teams, the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs. This was a huge statement for him.
MM: "The Bubble Brothers" put up 6 shots on goal combined. Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and Tyler Pitlick have been matched up against Anze Kopitar, Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, and David Pastrnak this season. Not only have they shut things down, they've generated on offense. Last night, they ate up an average of 15 minutes at even strength. They aren't deployed to give the stars a breather, they have an identity.
JL: I completely agree with Matt on this one. A couple of weeks ago I was all for giving Vesey a shot on the top line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. I thought he had earned it with his offensive output, but I think he might be too important on the fourth line with Goodrow and Pitlick. These three have found some consistency in their game and they're helping the team win hockey games. I didn't think last night was their best game, but it was a solid showing.
MM: Devil's advocate (boo)... the game of hockey is often not man-to-man in defensive zone coverage. Auston Matthews leads the NHL in goals with 25 in 28 games played. The Rangers have to pick up on a player of his caliber in soft spots on the ice. Matthews had two prime looks on Shesterkin and, as he does, capitalized on both of those. Subduing elite scorers is crucial for a Stanley Cup contender.
JL: I alluded to it earlier, but the Rangers were caught puck watching on those two Matthews goals. It happens, but it can't become a habit in the defensive zone.
MM: Some nuggets that stick out are- Artemi Panarin's 8 SOG outing, Mika Zibanejad's reaching 11 goals on the season (quietly), and Alexis Lafreniere ending a 5-game point drought with his 5th career power-play goal.
JL: I was asked about my level of concern for Alexis Lafreniere's goal drought yesterday on TSN Radio. I tried explaining how effective Lafreniere has been, even if his production hasn't been up to par. Seeing him not only score, but get one on the power play last night was big for his confidence. Sometimes as a player, even if you feel that you're impacting the game (which Lafreniere has) when you're not seeing the results, it can negatively impact you. Sure, Lafreniere has shown frustration here and there, but I'd say most people can agree that he has had strong body language for most of the season. Last year, there were a couple of stretches where if he wasn't putting up points, he didn't look 100% engaged in every game. This season, he's been more of a competitor and it's been extremely noticeable.
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