It may just be preseason, but beating the Devils will never not be fun. The structure for the Rangers was inconsistent, but a 5 goal outburst is will do. Among the kids, Dylan Roobroeck played well, Gabe Perreault stood out, Scott Morrow did pretty good on the backend with his offensive instincts, Matt Rempe had some standout moments with some playmaking attempts, and Dylan Garand looked good in net. As for veterans, Conor Sheary showed he might still have something left in the tank with a breakaway goal, and Jonathan Quick played well in net.

With the majority of the regulars sitting, attention turned to the guys on the fringes who are fighting to make the roster. Perreault opened the scoring early in the game off a great feed from Casey Fitzgerald coming down the wing. Perreatuls was a threat anytime he was out on the ice, and he wasn’t getting bumped off the puck like last season. There are high hopes for Perreault, and after this performance he likely put himself ahead of Brennan Othmann, who had a bit of a rough outing.

Dylan Roobroeck also stood out, scoring a goal and adding an assist in the 2nd period. One of the bigger storylines coming in to training camp, and the preseason as a whole, is who is going to be the Rangers 3C on opening night. With Mika Zibanejad starting on JT Miller’s wing, the 3C spot is wide open for Roobroecu, Juuso Parssinen, or even Noah Laba.

After a 20 goal season in Hartford, and after what he showed today, Roobroeck could surprise a few people and break camp with the Blueshirts if he continues to shine. He’s got the size at center, he’s smart with the puck, and he knows how to go to the net when needed. With all eyes on Rempe, Roobroeck was able to find a soft spot of ice, and convert on a rebound with no one covering him. It’s only one game, so there’s more to watch with both Roobroeck and Laba as they push to oust Parssinen from that 3C spot.

Conor Sheary is a known commodity and he looked pretty good, showcasing his experience with Mike Sullivan’s system. Scoring a goal on a breakaway, Sheary showed how it might not be a terrible idea to keep him around as a spare forward. In some ways, Sheary is what you may want a guy like Brett Berard to model his game after.

Sheary is a pest and has no problems getting to the dirty areas of the ice, engaging in battles for pucks. The Rangers need more players like that up and down their lineup. I don’t want Sheary’s role to be one of those veterans who blocks a prospect from a legitimate role. Though if he proves to be the best option in the bottom six, I don’t think it would be the worst idea. The Rangers need as many high-motor guys as they can.

As an aside, it was nice to see MSG Networks finally listened to the fans and added a shots on goal counter to the score bug! That has been long overdue for this day and age.

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