First Period:
- Mika Zibanejad (21) Assists: Chris Kreider (15), Jacob Trouba (18)
- Nico Hischier (16) Assists: Andreas Johnsson (17)
Second Period:
- Filip Chytil (6) Assists: Ryan Lindgren (7)
Third Period:
- Chris Kreider (36) Assists: Adam Fox (47), Mika Zibanejad (35)
Three Stars:
- 3: Filip Chytil
- 2: Igor Shesterkin
- 1: Mika Zibanejad
Stats:
Adam Rotter:
- This seemed like a pretty good win for the Rangers, I think they played pretty well and Igor Shesterkin just continued to dominate. That save he made on Nico Hischier’s rebound early in the first period is one of the best saves I’ve seen in a while. He just brings such a level of confidence and calm and even when the Devils had stretches where they pressed and had chances, it never felt like the game was in doubt because the Rangers had Shesterkin in net.
- I don’t think the Rangers needed to rely on Shesterkin as much as they have recently, but it was still a close game when the Devils made a push in the third and Shesterkin just kept slamming the door. I do wonder how taxing all of this is on Shesterkin because he doesn’t have easy games. It’s not often that the Rangers keep the puck most of the game and allow Shesterkin to have a simple game. Only time will tell if all the shots and chances he has to face will hamper him down the stretch or in the playoffs, but the Rangers sure can do a better job of trying to give him an easier night.
- Zibanejad, Kreider, Fox…just more of the same. Alexis Lafreniere didn’t get a point, but continued to look like someone on the verge of being an impact player.
- Filip Chytil gets a goal tonight and we will see what that does for him and what that may mean for his future. Long-term it doesn’t seem like he will be part of things, but would the Rangers move him at the deadline for an upgrade either in the top-six or a different kind of third-line center? As much has Chytil has struggled to find his way this season I don’t know how much subtraction Chris Drury wants to do off the current roster. The upgrades at the deadline will come at the expense of guys like Julien Gauthier, Greg McKegg, Dryden Hunt and some of the others that filter in to the lineup, but Chytil still has the potential to have a big role. We will see what Drury ends up doing over the next two weeks.
- Next up the Rangers head to the road and start the trip by going to Winnipeg and then Minnesota.