The New York Rangers finally secured their first home win on Monday night, defeating the Nashville Predators 6-3.
Going into this matchup, the Rangers held a 0-6-1 home record, as their struggles at Madison Square Garden were very well documented.
On Sunday, the Rangers recalled Gabe Perreault from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League in order to provide an offensive spark.
The Rangers also got reinforcements in the form of Vincent Trocheck, who missed the previous 14 games with an upper-body injury.
The Rangers came out swinging in the first period and were ultimately rewarded with a goal from Mika Zibanejad 10:39 into the first frame.
Despite a goal from Matthew Wood to tie the game in the first period, the Rangers did not waver or panic the way we may have seen them do this season.
The Rangers responded quickly with a goal from Vladislav Gavrikov, and controlled the game from there on out.
“I just felt like, from a mindset standpoint, the group was in the right place, in the right headspace,” Sullivan said. “That's such an important part of winning. It's your ability to control the ebbs and flows of the adversities that you're going to ultimately be faced with is an important element of winning.
“Given some of the challenges we've had at home, that could potentially go the opposite direction, and it didn't. So I give the leadership group and the guys a ton of credit just for staying with it.”
The Rangers had an eventful second period led by Alexis Lafrenière, who recorded a goal and two assists.
Lafrenière was flying all over the ice and just displayed the dynamic skillsets everybody knows he has in his arsenal.
The 24-year-old forward played a gritty, tough brand of hockey, specifically in front of the net, which showed the evolution in his game.
“He played real well,” Sullivan said of Lafrenière. “I think Laf has done a really good job at making strides just having an awareness and a willingness to go to that area.”
When the Rangers lost Trocheck to injury, a big element of their identity fell apart. Trocheck brings a hard-nosed, intense energy that translates both offensively and defensively.
In his first game back, Trocheck didn’t miss a beat. He made an immediate impact and provided the Rangers’ lineup with much-needed balance and more firepower to their top-six unit.
“Obviously, Trocheck is such an important player for this team,” said Sullivan. “Just his presence alone, from a leadership standpoint, his demeanor, and then obviously, what he does on the ice. His presence alone, I think was a huge boost for the group, especially given the circumstances at home here.”
Vincent Trocheck Set To Make Return After 14-Game Absence
Vincent Trocheck is set to return to the New York Rangers’ lineup on Monday night against the Nashville Predators.
Playing in a top-six role on a line with J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, Perreault fit right in and proved he can hang around in the big leagues.
The addition of Perreault gave the Rangers more offensive firepower, something this team desperately coveted.
“Gabe makes some offensive plays,” Sullivan said. “He has the capability of making those types of subtle plays that can help us. For Gabe’s first game in the NHL in a while, I thought he did a pretty good job.”
It was clear that the Rangers’ struggles at home were becoming more psychological than anything.
There was no clear explanation for their disparity between their level of play on the road contrasted to at home.
Finally winning that first game in front of the fans at Madison Square Garden is a huge relief for the entire team.
“It’s huge,” Sullivan said of winning their first home game of the season. “Couldn't be happier for the group… Hopefully that reinforces the process a little bit, and just gives us that much more belief that if we play a certain way, that we can compete with any team in this league. My hope is that we can use this one tonight as a big boost of confidence.”
The Rangers will be back in action on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.