Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8236f749-7178-4583-b19c-4b5a98f695b2.jpeg] Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images The New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/] secured their first win of the season on Thursday night, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-0. During their season opener on Tuesday, the Rangers came out flat, as it carried on for the remainder of the contest. They learned from their mistakes in Buffalo and came firing on all cylinders, literally. The Rangers were unafraid to shoot the puck, getting the puck to the net as often as possible, and it translated to 16 shots through the first 20 minutes. Alexis Lafrenière’s goal gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead after the first period of play. “We obviously had way more energy to start,” Mike Sullivan said. “I thought from an energy standpoint, the guys felt a lot better for whatever reason. I think that’s where it started… I thought the start of the game might have been the best period we’ve played since training camp started.” When the Sabres began to push back in the second period, it was Igor Shesterkin who came to the rescue. The 29-year-old goalie made multiple key saves throughout the second period and the entire game to allow the Rangers to hold their narrow lead. Shesterkin finished the night with a 36-save shutout. “It sure is nice,” Sullivan said about having Shesterkin on his side. “He’s a world-class goalie. He’s one of the very best. He makes really hard saves look routine sometimes, and we certainly don’t take that for granted.” The Blueshirts settled down in the third period and got goals from Carson Soucy, J.T. Miller, and Adam Fox to secure the victory. One aspect of the game Sullivan values is heavy forechecking from his forwards. Sullivan’s forechecking philosophy was on full display from the Rangers against the Sabres, as it appears his message is rubbing off on the players. “I think we are built in that element of our game,” Sullivan said of the team’s forechecking. “That’s among the things our coaching staff looked at coming into this season, and trying to get what we would call a grind game. I just think it’s an important aspect of today’s NHL. Vincent Trocheck Exits Game Against Sabres After Suffering Upper-Body Injury [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/51070f96-f2d7-460d-830c-1f845631706b.jpeg] Vincent Trocheck Exits Game Against Sabres After Suffering Upper-Body Injury Vincent Trocheck exited the New York Rangers’ Thursday night game against the Buffalo Sabres and ultimately did not return. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/latest-news/vincent-trocheck-exits-game-against-sabres-after-suffering-upper-body-injury] “It’s how you control territory, how you control momentum. You force teams to have to expend energy defending you. There are so many elements and you can manufacture offense on top of it. I just think it’s such an important element of today’s game. Just a team that is able to play on top of their opponents and control momentum that way. We are built on that, we are getting better at it. We have a long way to go but I think our intentions are in the right spot.” Unfortunately for the Rangers, Vincent Trocheck left the game early after suffering an upper-body injury, and he did not return. During his postgame interview, Sullivan confirmed Trocheck is currently being evaluated, but he didn’t provide many other details. Sullivan was able to capture his first win as the Rangers’ head coach, and he expressed his gratitude to have gotten this special opportunity. “It’s humbling,” Sullivan said on winning his first game with the Rangers. “It’s an incredible honor to be the coach of the New York Rangers. It’s a franchise that has such history to it. For me it’s just a privilege that I don’t take for granted. I’m excited about the group of players that we have here. “There’s been a certain enthusiasm on the team that has been really rewarding from a coaching standpoint. It’s tangible, we can feel it. We get the first win, it means a lot to me, J.T. (Miller) gave me the game puck, which was nice.” The Rangers will be back in action on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
