First Period:
- Kaapo Kakko (6) Assists: K’Andre Miller (12), Barclay Goodrow (14)
Second Period:
- Kaapo Kakko (7) Assists: Filip Chytil (13)
- Artemi Panarin (22) Assists: Jacob Trouba (26)
Third Period:
- Andrew Copp (18) (Shorthanded) Assists: Barclay Goodrow (15), Jacob Trouba (27)
Stats:
Adam Rotter:
- This was just a game that the Rangers had to get through. The Flyers stink and are missing half of their team, so unless the Rangers completely no-showed and played like they did in the last game against the Flyers, where they did score late to tie it, this was going to be a win. The Flyers had a push early and seemed to be forcing the Rangers into mistakes, but then the Rangers settled into their game, got some goals and then seemed content to just play the rest of the game with as few whistles as possible so they could just get through it.
- So the big two stories out of tonight involve the former #1 and #2 picks.
- It was great for Kakko to get those two goals. The Rangers are going to need scoring depth and Kakko can certainly provide that and also be a relatively reliable two-way player. I think he will probably stay in his place on the third line until, though there is a question of who his linemates will be.
- It stinks that Alexis Lafreniere was scratched, but his game had dipped a bit after a few productive games after being dropped to the third line. I can’t imagine that Lafreniere won’t be getting regular shifts in the top-nine and hope that this is just, as Kenny Albert claimed Gerard Gallant said was, a “reset.” He had played in every other game this season, minus the two he missed with Covid, and I hope he’ll be back on Saturday.
- So if Kakko is on one side of the third line and Lafreniere is on the other side, who will be their center? Filip Chytil is the obvious choice and that would allow Barclay Goodrow to drop down and make the fourth line stronger, but will the Rangers trust Chytil to be a center in the t0p-nine in the playoffs? The Ranger got Barclay Goodrow partially because of his playoff experience and you’d think that he would have a greater impact on the game if he played in the top-nine. But where would Goodrow playing on the third line leave Chytil? My guess is that the Rangers start the playoffs with Lafreniere, Chytil and Kakko as the third line and Goodrow on the fourth line with Rooney and either Dryden Hunt or Ryan Reaves. They will adjust from there based on performance and injuries.
- Now that Chris Kreider has scored 50, and is still pushing to potentially break the Rangers single season record, the bigger push now needs to be toward Artemi Panarin getting 100 points. He needs 11 points in the last seven games and that definitely seems doable.
- Alex Georgiev picked up another shutout and his sixth straight win. That is nice for him and I think that he should get more than just one half of next week’s back-to-back. When we talk about resting players these last few games, Igor Shesterkin needs to be at the top of that list. Adam Fox is probably second.
- Now the Rangers have a couple of days before they play Saturday afternoon against the Red Wings.