A night that seemed like it would end in disaster, turned into a momentous 5-4 overtime victory for the New York Rangers over the Montreal Canadiens.
Going into this game, the Rangers were coming off a demoralizing 3-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, where their overall effort and urgency were in serious question.
The Blueshirts came out of the gate with intensity, dominating possession, generating multiple scoring chances, and not even allowing a shot for over 10 minutes.
However, the Canadiens are a dynamic offensive bunch, and they showed that, scoring three quick goals within the span of less than five minutes, which put the Rangers in a 3-0 hole.
Mike Sullivan was tasked with an early decision whether or not to pull Igor Shesterkin after giving up three goals in a very short time frame.
Ultimately, Sullivan opted to keep Shesterkin in the net, showing confidence in his superstar goalie.
“I didn’t feel like any of the goals scored were bad goals,” Sullivan said. “I never got the feeling behind the bench that, geez, it just wasn't Shesty’s night… I never got the feeling that he wasn't on his game. I thought he was locked in. He takes a lot of pride in keeping the puck out of the net when they go in like that. Sometimes, your emotions can get the best of you, but he did a terrific job of just staying focused and being ready to make that next save for us.”
The Rangers came alive late in the first frame with a power-play goal from Noah Laba, who has emerged as a real impactful player for the Rangers.
Seconds later, Artemi Panarin drew a slashing penalty and was rewarded with a penalty shot. He cashed it in, beating the rookie goalie Jacob Fowler.
“I was panicked, to be honest,” Panarin said of his penalty shot. “Everyone in the rink too excited, too. Ice was not the best in the last minute. I’m glad I scored.”
It wasn’t just Panarin’s goal that was noticeable about his game. All night long Panarin was controlling the pace of play in the offensive zone with his shifty puck skills, and the Canadiens had a difficult time containing his bursts of exposition.
The 34-year-old forward led all players by a wide margin with a total of eight shots on net, proving how dominant he truly was from an offensive standpoint.
Despite going down 4-2 in the second period, the Rangers’ confidence never wavered, and they responded in a big way.
A strong forecheck from Brett Berard and Laba helped lead to a goal from Will Cuylle. The Berard-Laba-Cuylle trio continues to provide the Blueshirts with an element of physicality and speed, which finally translated into a goal on Saturday night.
J.T. Miller found the back of the net less than one minute later to tie the game 4-4, putting Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.
The game made its way into overtime where the puck found Miller’s stick for the game-winning goal.
Miller had two goals on the night, and his contributions certainly did not go unnoticed.
“I'm thrilled for him,” Sullivan said of Miller. “I know what it means for this team to have success, and he takes a lot of ownership for it. I feel like he's had moments when he's played extremely well for us, and the puck hasn't gone on the net for him. I thought he had a really strong game tonight… He's such an important player for us.”
To come back from a three-goal deficit takes heart, resilience and, determination. Those three traits shone bright in the Rangers’ game.
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Jaroslav Chmelar earned his position with the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> through hard work and exceptional play in the American Hockey League for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
“There was a lot of hockey left,” Sullivan said. “That’s what we talked about on the bench. That’s what we talked about in between periods, ‘Let’s not get overwhelmed here. Let’s just keep playing, keep playing the game. Let’s work for the next goal.’ And that’s what they did. Those moments, I think, they’re great opportunities for a group to grow and become a team.
“You face those types of adversities and you overcome them. I think that helps to galvanize a group and it also provides evidence for our team, that if we get in those situations again, what we’re capable of.”
There’s a confidence brewing within this Rangers team that no matter who the opponent is or what the score may be, they can always find a way to come away with a victory.
It’s inconsistent, and we are yet to truly see the Rangers tap into this mentality for a long stretch of games, but the Blueshirts are building an identity and confident swagger, which is an encouraging sign.
“I think we did a good job of staying mentally tough and in the moment,” Miller said. “Present, worried about the next shift and really turned the tide on them. They defended a lot of the night, I felt like. When we play like that, it’s the same speech every game, I think we’re a lot to handle.”
The Rangers will be back in action on Monday night against the Anaheim Ducks.