The New York Rangers started the week not looking so great against the Carolina Hurricanes. Lately, both teams have been fighting for that top spot in the Metropolitan. Despite the loss to Carolina, the Rangers made up for it by getting four points later in the week. The playoffs are heating up with a few weeks left in the regular season, and the fun is just beginning.
The Rangers show that they can play with the big boys and keep up with them. It’s not always pretty; sometimes, it is ugly and nail-biting. However, the Rangers carry on and keep going with their eye on the playoffs and a bright and shiny cup.
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New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
April 12, 2022
Madison Square Garden
L 4-2
1st Period
No Scoring
2nd Period
01:03-K’Andre Miller, Mika Zibanejad & Frank Vatrano
13:38-Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis & Sebastian Aho
3rd Period
01:02-Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho & Brady Skjei
06:42-Jordan Staal, Brady Skjei & Jesper Fast
18:22-Chris Kreider, Andrew Copp & Ryan Strome
19:54-Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov & Teuvo Teravainen
Kreider got to number 50. That is all that matters in this game.
The Rangers looked good in the first period, keeping pace with the Hurricanes, even outshooting them 14-8. The goaltenders, Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen, did an outstanding job keeping the puck out of the net for their teams. Miller opened up the second period with a goal, getting the rangers on the board, and they held that lead until Svechnikov tied it a little over halfway through the period.
The third period found the Hurricanes playing like they wanted the win. The goals by Jarvis and Staal appeared to seal the game for Carolina. However, Kreider was able to put one in the net, giving the Rangers the chance to make a comeback, like they have done many times before in the third.
New York Rangers @ Philadelphia Flyers
April 13, 2022
Wells Fargo Center
W 4-0
1st Period
10:20-Kaapo Kakko, Barclay Goodrow & K’Andre Miller
2nd Period
08:22-Kaapo Kakko & Filip Chytil
11:03-Artemi Panarin & Jacob Trouba
3rd Period
18:07-Andrew Copp, Barclay Goodrow & Jacob Trouba
The best thing about this game was that Kakko had just come back from being injured and scored the game’s first two goals. One came midway through the first and the other almost midway through the second. After Panarin made it 3-0, a few kerfuffles popped up. They appeared to be a reoccurring theme for the rest of the period.
The third was more of the back and forth, with the rangers just holding the lead. The Flyers attempted to get something going on a Rangers penalty, but it was shut down, and Copp’s goal sealed the deal for the Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev got the shutout, making it the eighth of his career.
New York Rangers vs. Detroit Red Wings
April 16, 2022
Madison Square Garden
W 4-0
1st Period
13:44-Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin & Chris Kreider
2nd Period
03:46-Frank Vatrano, Mika Zibanejad & Adam Fox
3rd Period
04:37-Alexis Lafreniere, Barclay Goodrow & Filip Chytil
14:17-Alexis Lafreniere, Patrik Nemeth & Barclay Goodrow
Throughout the entire game, the Rangers were in control. In the first, Zibanejad gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead on a power play goal. Also, Panarin’s assist put him at 90 points overall for the season. It is his second 90+ season; the other was in 2019-20, which was his first season with the Rangers.
The Red Wings were trying to make a comeback in the second period, but Vatrano made it 2-0 with a nice goal with some help from Zibanejad and Fox. The Rangers continued to dominate, and they should have had more goals; however, Thomas Greiss was doing his best to keep his team in the game.
For Rangers fans, the third period was probably the best. First, Lafreniere was able to get his 16th goal less than five minutes into the game. Then in the latter part of the period, he gave everyone a glimpse of why the Rangers took him in the draft. He executed a beautiful fake, fooling Dylan Larkin and Greiss before passing the puck between his legs and backhanding it into the net.
What We Learned This Week
- Panarin now has 90 points and two 90+ seasons
- It is a career-high number of points for Zibanejad with 77
- Kreider has reached the 50 goal mark
- Vatrano now has 100 goals in his NHL career
- Lafreniere has some sick moves
- It’s the fourth time in NYR history that there have been two 4-0 back-to-back wins
- There still might be hope for Vitali Kravtsov to be with the Rangers next season
The win over the Red Wings put the Rangers in a tie for first place in the Metropolitan with the Hurricanes, and with the Hurricanes losing to the Colorado Avalanche, the tie will stay in place. Monday, the Hurricanes will face the Arizona Coyotes, and the Rangers will face the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. The Rangers and Hurricanes are set to play their final matchup on April 26.
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
