On Sam Rosen day, the Rangers stole a game the only way they know how: goaltending and hot shooting. Igor Shesterkin proves time and time again that he’s actually underpaid, as this game could have gotten away from them with a measly 12 total shots on goal. Luckily for the Rangers, Kevin Lankinen isn’t good and the Blueshirts put up four goals on him while Shesterkin stopped 36 of 39 for the win.

The Rangers did not deserve to win this game in any fashion, but Sam Rosen deserved to call a win for his Hall of Fame 40 year broadcasting career. This kind of game was a throwback to the later Alain Vigneault days where the Rangers heavily relied on goaltending and unsustainably hot shooting, something Sam should be used to calling over the last decade or so.

First off, what a perfect ceremony to honor Sam Rosen. There was some discourse about it maybe being not long enough, but the history of Sam Rosen can be found almost anywhere. His 40 years of broadcasting is synonymous with Rangers hockey, and his voice really is the voice of multiple generations of Rangers fans. Those who got to see the 1994 Stanley cup, to today’s fans with some long playoff runs just coming short. It can be fun to poke fun at some of the on-air hiccups from time to time, but make no mistake, Sam will be missed in the booth.

Those that complain about Shesterkin’s contract don’t really have much of a leg to stand on anymore with the way the Rangers have played lately. The play in front of him yesterday was nowhere near competitive, but the Rangers somehow won flying by the seat of their pants, which was made possible by Shesterkin’s heroics. From a raw statistical standpoint, both Igor and Jonathan Quick are having down years, but what we saw yesterday from the skaters was the norm, not a blip. If not for the goaltending, the Rangers wouldn’t even be in the playoff bubble picture. They’d be down around the Penguins and the Flyers in the standings.

On the positive side of things, Brennan Othmann played his best game as a Ranger, and after 16 long games, he finally was awarded his first NHL point. Ne beat Jake DeBrusk to a loose puck before getting the puck to the point for a Braden Schneider shot that Adam Fox tipped. The catalyst for the whole play was Othmann doing the dirty work. This is what the Rangers need in their top six and I was glad to see Peter Laviolette wisened up and actually put Othmann on a line to help him succeed.

The Rangers youth is not getting nearly the amount of ice time they should, and they’re the most noticeable night in and night out. The Rangers are technically still in the playoff race, so Laviolette will rely more on his veterans like every other NHL coach out there, so this is the main reason why. The north/south play tells you what the Rangers are trying to become once the roster turnover continues into the summer.

Another unsung hero this season has been the revelation of Jonny Brodzinski. Laviolette ended up putting him on a line with Alexis Lafreniere and JT Miller yesterday, and Brodzinski rewarded him with 2 huge goals including the game winner. Brodzinski gets a lot of flak, but it’s clear he’s found a home with the Rangers organization. He certainly earned his contract extension last year, and his impact is felt off the ice as well.

Many of the call-ups like Othmann and Brett Berard have spoken on Brodzinski’s leadership abilities and helping them transition to the NHL. The offensive production has been a bonus as well, considering he’s mostly been in a fourth line role. More often than not he’s usually playing with guys coming up from the Hartford Wolf Pack–where he served as captain–and you can see the comfort and familiarity the kids have with him. In a season where there have been far too many storylines to dislike this team, I think we all can agree that Brodzinski’s presence is calming.

With the win, the Rangers in the standings are tied with the Montreal Canadiens in points, but currently sit outside the playoff picture. A week long California road trip awaits the team and there are no easy games upcoming.

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