Oh Zucc, we’ve missed you

The baby Rangers, the kids competing for roster spots, shined last night, but the team blew a two goal lead in the third period en route to a shootout loss to the Bruins. It’s the preseason, so there’s no need to complain, panic, or worry. The kids played well, and although they lost, you can see that the Rangers will have new blood in the lineup in October, with more knocking on the door as injury call ups.

As always, the GIFs from the game are on www.nyrgifs.com. All video highlights are on our videos page.

  • Brady Skjei is making it very difficult to cut him. He was solid again last night. He looked at home on the powerplay, drawing a defender out of position at the point and opening up the ice for Kevin Hayes for his goal. He will likely spend time in the AHL, just like Ryan McDonagh did to start his career. But the kid is the real deal.
  • Brett Bellemore –fighting skill aside, he got crushed in that fight– is also making it hard to cut him. He’s been quietly solid.
  • Oscar Lindberg had another strong game, this time at RW. He played LW and C in the other two games. Kid offers versatility all over the ice. He’s making this team. He and Jarret Stoll really clicked. Stoll is another one with a strong game.
  • Ryan Bourque wasn’t flashy, but he was overall solid. He finished checks, was in on the forecheck, and was rarely out of position. If it wasn’t for Brian Gibbons, he’d be a dark horse to make the club. He also ensured the game got to a shootout.

  • Speaking of Gibbons, he’s playing like a guy that doesn’t want to ride the bus in the AHL. He’s been great these games. He’s got an uphill battle though. It’s clear that Lindberg is ahead of him, and it looks like Alain Vigneault prefers Glass and Stoll.
  • I didn’t really notice Adam Tambellini, not a bad thing, but he needs time, as expected.
  • Emerson Etem looked to be trying too hard. He really cut down the wing and created a chance for Hayes in the second. But he was sloppy at times too.
  • I was ok with what Tanner Glass did in the third, going after Zac Rinaldo. He had the right idea, although the execution was a bit rough. He was also way out of position on a Zdeno Chara chance in the first period while on the penalty kill. If Glass didn’t chase the puck so much, he’d be much easier to tolerate in the lineup.
  • Jeff Malcolm looked good in net. Surprised me a bit. He couldn’t do much on the Brandon Carlo goal, since Jimmy Hayes was sitting on him.
  • How great was it seeing Mats Zuccarello score? That play was pretty.

For all these guys that have been great, the games will get tougher and tougher as more guys are cut. Expect AV to keep these guys around as long as possible, and all of them deserve it. The next preseason game is Saturday night.

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