Top Players Come Through

By: Mike Rifkin

The New York Rangers trailed 3-2 with 5:45 left in the third period when Mika Zibanejad scored to tie the game at three and sent it to overtime. In overtime with the Rangers on the power play Artemi Panarin scored sending the Rangers to the second round for the first time since 2017. 

Panarin who led the Rangers with 96 points during the regular season had three goals and seven points in the seven game series against the Penguins Coach Gerard Gallant said postgame “If we were going to score in overtime it was going to be Panarin.” 

But maybe more important is the fact that Mika Zibanejad who was second on the team with 81 points and had 29 goals on the season was able to break through in games 6 and 7. In game 6 with their season on the line the Rangers top center had two goals and two assists and in game 7 tied the game late in the third and had two assists. Prior to game 6 Zibanejad had not scored a goal in the series and his line was being dominated by Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and his line. 

Speaking of Zibanejad’s line his linemate Chris Kreider opened the scoring in game 7 giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead. Kreider had scored two goals in game 6 including the game winner at 18:32 of the third period. Kreider had five goals in the series but like he did in the regular season Kreider led by example. 

Now the Rangers best player all season was goaltender Igor Shesterkin who was nominated for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender and the Hart Trophy for Most Valuable player. Shesterkin was sensational in game one’s triple overtime loss making 79 saves. But in games 3 and 4 Shesterkin got pulled for Alexandar Georgiev. In game 5 he made 29 saves on 32 shots, game 6 31 saves on 34 shots and in game 7 39 saves on 42 shots including some big ones when the Penguins were dominating play. When the pressure was on Shesterkin he played very well and responded. 

For the Rangers the young players were really good throughout the series but when they needed them the most their best players played their best hockey. This should give them a lot of confidence heading into the second round and a showdown with the Carolina Hurricanes starting Wednesday night.