If you are an NHL league executive who has been pushing for the league to become more offense and less defense, this game was right up your alley. Not every goal against was on Lundqvist but the offense at least showed up today for an entertaining game to say the least. Let’s dive in with the thoughts shall we?!

  • As noted in the opener, this game was an absolute “last shot will win” type of game. If you love goals and lots of them, you had fun during this one.
  • Games like this are a double-edge sword, you love to see your team score 4-5 goals against a goalie and see your scoring depth click, but when it’s against your team, there are tons of questions about how the defensive structure of this team is.
  • A lot has been said the past few seasons about what exactly Lindy Ruff’s role is on this coaching staff and if he shows tangible impact to his players, but for Ruff, it’s the exact opposite. This guy has a black thumb and seems to ruin any and all defensive development of players like Skjei, Hajek, DeAngelo, and Staal.
  • Let’s do some positives though cause there are certainly some positives from this game, Lindgren getting his first NHL goal was fun. He’s a fun player to watch and his game has gotten so steady and poised.
  • Speaking of poise, thank God for Adam Fox. For a 21 year old rookie, he’s far and away the Rangers best defenseman when it comes to goals against metrics and expected goals.
  • Should we make a new analytic called Quinn Bin/60? Seems like every guy that goes there and comes back produces offensively and it’s absolutely hilarious. Good for Skjei to get that lucky bounce off Matheson’s stick.
  • Filip Chytil is a DAMN good hockey player and he has all of the confidence in the world right now. We all knew he possessed probably the best raw skill as far as NYR draftees from 2017, but you finally are seeing it blossom. He is the solution to 2C.
  • The goals against I do not put all on Lundqvist. 3 of them were on the defenders not getting in the  passing/shooting lanes or tying up guys at the net. This might be an indictment of where the league is going, but there isn’t a lot of roughing up the opponent for being near the crease like you used to see not 5 seasons ago. The only one I would say Hank could have had was Dadanov’s PPG in the 2nd, but that’s a one-timer in tight so who knows.
  • Rangers Power play had a lot of good opportunities today and it was especially nice for Kreider to get that deflection goal to boost his confidence hopefully going forward. Rangers NEED him to get going in more ways than one. Trade value for one, but another that for the here and now, you need more than one line contributing night in and night out.
  • Kaapo Kakko is a fantastic power play threat, he won’t load up a one-timer every power play, but his shooting ability is going to only going to get better and better as he gets playing time.
  • Does it bother anyone else when both teams shell in the last 5 minutes of a game to force OT? Going for the win is a weird concept I guess.
  • Overtime needs to be 10 minutes. For something so exciting, that’s how games should end, not the shootout.
  • Kakko is NASTY in the shootout. Praise Be.
  • Eh, at least we got a point today.

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