8 PM: Patrick Kane said after the game of The Kid Line (MSG):
- “The Kid Line was amazing for us and I think that is one of the reasons we have the potential to go deep in playoffs, the depth of the team and not just depending on Zibanejad and Panarin and Kreider to score every night, but the depth throughout our line.”
- On The Kid Line, “Pretty impressive. All three of them are so good at holding onto the puck and making plays. I was just saying to Fil ‘I gotta come out with you guys early on the ice’ because I know they go out early and and they work on that stuff and it’s impressive. They can hold onto pucks and keep possession and create and make the other team play defense. It’s fun to watch.”
7:45 PM: First Period:
- Aleksander Barkov (19) Assists: Anthony Duclair (4), Gustav Forsling (26)
- Ryan Lomberg (11) Assists: Marc Staal (10)
Second Period:
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- Kaapo Kakko (14) Assists: Filip Chytil (20), Alexis Lafreniere (19)
- Alexis Lafreniere (15) Assists: Jacob Trouba (21), Tyler Motte (9)
Third Period:
- Patrick Kane (20) Unassisted
- Filip Chytil (21) Assists: Kaapo Kakko (22)
- Aleksander Barkov (20) Assists: Carter Verhaeghe (30)
Stats:
- They found a way, or more specifically, The Kid Line and Jaro Halak a few times, found a way to win tonight.
- It’s another bad start and bad first period for the Rangers, but like Thursday against Carolina, they got better as the game went on, but ultimately it was The Kid Line and a fluke deflection from Patrick Kane early in the third period that won this for the Rangers.
- The Kid Line went stale for a while, but right now they are back at close to their highest level, how they were at times earlier in the season and in the playoffs last year. They are going to force Gerard Gallant to play them more, how I’m not sure, but he’s going to need to find some extra minutes for them if they are going to be going like this.
- And those weren’t cheap goals by The Kid Line. Kaapo Kakko went to the net, Alexis Lafreniere put on a phenomenal move and Filip Chytil did the same. Chytil has eclipsed 40 points and Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere are in striking distance with nine games to go. All of them getting to 40 points would be a thing statistically and show that the improvements they have made and their development is getting rewarded.
- It’s possible that by the time the Rangers take the ice on Tuesday against Columbus that they will have clinched a playoff spot. The Devils are playing right now, but if they lose thene Rangers will be within two points and with the two teams playing on Thursday. Second place is not totally out of the question yet.
- New Jersey is looming on Thursday, but the Rangers can’t look past Columbus on Tuesday. They did a great job last weekend not looking past Nashville and hopefully they will bring the same kind of effort on Tuesday.