First Period:

• Nico Hischier (13) Assists: Jonas Siegenthaler (10)
• Dawson Mercer (8) Unassisted
• Chris Kreider (14) Assists: Vincent Trocheck (10), Jimmy Vesey (6)

Second Period:

• Jack Hughes (15) Assists: Dawson Mercer (10), Dougie Hamilton (15)
• Vincent Trocheck (10) (Power Play) Assists: Adam Fox (24), Mika Zibanejad (18)
• Kaapo Kakko (6) Assists: K’Andre Miller (10), Filip Chytil (8)

Third Period:

Overtime:

• Filip Chytil (6) Assists: Artemi Panarin (29), K’Andre Miller (11)

Three Stars:

• 3: Jack Hughes
• 2: Vincent Trocheck
• 1: Filip Chytil

Stats:

Adam Rotter:

• They found a way to come back, they found a way to get a point and they found a way to win this in OT.
• The Devils were the better team in this game, but the Rangers are starting to show their ability to get key saves at key times again and then timely goals. It’s important for the Rangers to start winning games where they are the second best team. I thought they played better than most against Colorado, but most will see Friday and tonight as two games where they were the second best team…but won. They had too many of those games last season, but with how the season has started, any number of games like that are welcome.
• It couldn’t have started worse for the Rangers as they were 2-3 steps slow and their turnover were ending up in the back of their net. It seemed like this could have been a blowout that would have negated all the good feeling of the past three wins, but they found their legs in the back half of each of the first two periods.
• This game was sort of the reverse of the game a few weeks ago when the Rangers jumped out 2-0 early and then gave it all back. The Devils jumped out to the lead so early, but with 57-minutes or so left and how the Rangers had been playing, it seemed like they would have a chance to comeback. I started having doubts when the Devils made it 3-1, but this team is playing with confidence again.
• Ultimately this game came down to the Rangers best player vs the Devils best player with a penalty shot. Had Jack Hughes scored and the Devils gone up 4-1 the game probably would have been over, but Igor made that save, they got that PP a few minutes later, made it 3-2 and seven seconds later had an absolutely beautiful play from Filip Chytil to K’Andre Miller to Kaapo Kakko to tie it.
• The Rangers barely had the puck in the third, but they didn’t give up a ton and what they did give up was stopped by Shesterkin.
• It also seemed like the Rangers weren’t going to have the puck for the entire 3-on-3, but the one time they did Artemi Panarin made a great play to push the puck forward and then a terrific pass to Filip Chytil and an even better shot to win it.
• Filip Chytil is usually mentioned third with The Kid Line, but he has been really strong when he’s been in the lineup. He’s taking steps forward and the Rangers better hope that the salary cap rises as much as people think it might because at this point he looks like someone the Rangers are going to want to keep building with.
• The Devils are scary. They are extremely fast, very aggressive and if they keep getting some saves then they are going to be a problem for the Rangers. I’m not sure how many times they can play like they did tonight and find a way to win against the Devils, but it worked tonight. For next time though they need to be a lot stronger for 60 minutes.
• So now it’s four in a row and while it hasn’t been perfect, you are seeing the signs of what this team can be and how they can start winning on a more consistent basis. Igor Shesterkin has been much better, the PP is executing better and they are getting timely goals from secondary scorers. You want to see them tighten up defensively, maybe give Jacob Trouba a few games off to get healthy and, hopefully, stop turning pucks over, and continued growth from The Kids. After 30 games they are 15-10-5, but really they are 15-15, and with how they’ve played for most of the season that seems about right.
• Next up is a great test against the Leafs on Thursday, Philly, and Chicago on the weekend and then the Penguins next Tuesday.