Not that the Rangers failed much last night in Toronto, losing 4-3 in a shootout. But when Igor Shesterkin is out-goaled by Ilya Samsonov then there's something wrong in The Province of Ontario.
Playoff-type regular season games are worthwhile tests for the Rangers even when they fail them.
Not that they failed much last night in Toronto, losing 4-3 in a shootout. But when Igor Shesterkin is out-goaled by Ilya Samsonov then there's something wrong in The Province of Ontario.
Granted that we're talking about a fairly even game. But that's only because Samsonov made like a Rubber Man in overtime and there was nothing synthetic about his game-preserving stop on Breadman Panarin that otherwise would have sent Peter Laviolette home smiling.
"We had a lot of chances to win it in overtime," Lavvy lamented, "and, overall, the guys played hard."
Which is why the game had a playoff air to it right through the extra session and shootout. Both Artemi Panarin and Big Al Lafreniere were foiled by Shoutout Samsonov who actually had walked out on the Leafs in mid-season when a slump wounded his confidence.
"It was a hard-fought game," said Vincent Trocheck whose second goal with 1:07 remaining -- and Shesty pulled -- tied the count. "We played well."
Not everybody, Vinner, not everybody; and you must know which Blueshirts I mean.
My boy, Big Al Lafreniere, was a superior presence with a goal and two assists. So were linemates Panarin and, of course, Trocheck.
"There's no moral victory when it comes to getting points," Trocheck concluded.
As a result coach Lavvy may have to hire Mister Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, to locate Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko who accomplished nothing more than the square root of smoke rings against the Leafs.
Before the Trade Deadline arrives -- who knows? -- we may see Kakko 's and Mister Z's names side by side on the TD marquee. Neither are playing anywhere near what you would call expectations.
The loss in Canada's Queen City didn't tell GM Chris Drury very much else about his team although he just might be wondering why his exalted coach failed to give the goaltending nod to Jonathan Quick and not the one time Vezina Trophy-winner.
That is, unless Lavvy has made up his mind that Iggy is better -- faster? -- than Quick.
If that's the case, The Maven wastes no time saying, "Peter, old pal, you are sadly mistaken!"