First Period:
Second Period:
Third Period:
Ad
- Julien Gauthier (3) Assists: Jacob Trouba (5), K’Andre Miller (5)
- Adam Fox (6) (Empty Net) Assists: Mika Zibanejad (11), Jimmy Vesey (4)
- Logan Couture (9) Assists: Tomas Hertl (13), Timo Meier (9)
Stats:
- They found a way last night after another relatively strong performance, great goaltending, but not finishing/converting on their chances. Wins are wins and the Rangers have struggled to come by them, so you don’t take anything away from it, especially with how Igor Shesterkin played and the save he made in the seconds right after San Jose got on the board, but two goals, one from Julien Gauthier and an empty netter from Adam Fox won’t be enough most nights.
- They are showing in spurts and stretches over the last few games of the team that they can be with the chances they create and their puck possession, when they manage the puck well, but actually putting the puck in the net continues to be a bit of an issue. You hope/think that once they get a few they will start to roll consistently, but that didn’t happen after their breakout against Detroit.
- The Rangers could scratch Ryan Carpenter and make it a bit easier, but there is a battle going on between Julien Gauthier and Vitali Kravtsov for a spot in the lineup. Gauthier isn’t the player that his skillset and draft position say he should be, but he’s effective enough in his role. He goes to the net, he draws penalties and it’s a bonus, a major bonus, if he scores. Kravtsov has the higher upside and greater potential to make an impact higher in the lineup, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and when he has, he hasn’t looked as effective as he did when he played those 20 games at the end of the season a few years ago. With the way Gauthier has been playing it would be a major risk to put him on waivers. The GM that drafted him in Carolina, Ron Francis, passed on him in the Seattle expansion draft, the rest of the league passed on him when he was put on waivers earlier in the year, but I think that he has shown enough, if for no other reason than to drive to the net and draw penalties, for someone to take a chance on him.
- Igor Shesterkin sure looks like he is fully rounding into his Vezina form again. He didn’t really need that time last season, he just came out of the gate on fire, but he is getting back to that place at the exact point where the Rangers need him the most.
- Next up is two days off an then a back-to-back to close the trip in LA and then Anaheim.