The New York Rangers ended their four-game road trip on a high note with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Seattle Kraken.
We’ve seen the evolution of this Rangers team over the course of the road trip.
It started with a disastrous loss to the Calgary Flames, but the Blueshirts rattled off two consecutive victories heading into Seattle.
It was an eventful first period with Vladislav Gavrikov recording his first goal of the season just over ten minutes into the contest, which was quickly followed by a goal from Chandler Stephenson to tie up the hockey game.
Noah Laba’s goal helped the Rangers regain the lead 13:50 into the opening frame. Laba has elevated his game to the point where Sullivan felt comfortable enough to pair Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller back together, while placing Laba on a line with Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafrenière.
It speaks volumes to Laba’s steady improvement.
“Laba, his game keeps getting better right in front of us with every game that he plays,” Sullivan said. “He is just playing with so much confidence. He’s hungry, he’s strong on pucks. I think his speed is evident, he gets in on the forecheck, he wins a lot of foot races.
“The most impressive thing for me is his composure. Positionally he’s pretty sound. The mistakes that he makes are mistakes of enthusiasm. He’s playing with way more confidence, he’s hanging onto pucks, he’s making plays.”
Despite Brandon Montour evening up the score in the second period, the Rangers played a steady game throughout the night, and once the game hit overtime, it didn’t take long for J.T. Miller to find Will Cuylle for a goal, propelling New York to their third consecutive victory.
It was at the defensive end where the Rangers truly thrived.
The Rangers allowed just 13 shots all game, as the team played a tight and suffocating brand of hockey in their own end.
The Blueshirts’ newfound defensive confidence helped open up their game, allowing them to dictate the tempo of the game and generate high-quality offensive pressure.
“Like we’ve always said, just gotta stick with it,” Cuylle said. “It all starts in the D-zone. I thought we were really good defensively today. We are not going to lose games if the other team can’t score that much.”
This road trip was critical in helping the Rangers redefine their identity and get back on the right track.
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The Rangers continuously got better and better throughout the week. Finally, there’s hope for a team that once seemed to have no confidence and now suddenly appears to be a rejuvenated group with a strong belief in themselves.
“I thought tonight might have been our best in terms of controlling territory, defending hard, limiting shots, quality, quantity,” Sullivan said. “I thought it was a complete effort by everybody… I give the guys a lot of credit.
“This is not an easy trip to come out here. We lose the first game in Calgary and to rebound the way we did, just speaks volumes for the character of the guys. You can feel the energy around the team. I feel like we’ve earned our swagger back through our own sweat equity.”
The Rangers will be back in action on Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.