The Rangers desperately needed to show something in Edmonton. Some life, some guts, some never say die attitude. And they delivered. JT Miller’s overtime winner capped a 4-3 Rangers win after trailing 3-1 heading into the third period. This was a gutsy, gutsy win after what looked like was going to be another frustrating loss despite playing pretty well. A late come from behind win is never a long term recipe for success, but it was nice to finally see the Rangers convert on some of these high-danger chances they generate all game long.
As with most hockey games, last night really came down to who could dig in deeper within the game and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Oilers looked like they were going to run away after an extremely fluke goal by Darnell Nurse gave the Oilers a 3-1 lead. It felt like the Rangers were going to just give up. Last year’s Rangers certainly would have.
I owe Will Cuylle an apology. Whem the season started I felt he was miscast as a top six winger. Not that he couldn’t play that role later in the season, but it felt premature in the moment. Boy has he turned a corner during this road trip. He’s had 3 assists in his last three games, and perhaps the illness he’s been battling–they mentioned on the broadcast that he was battling a sickness the last week or so–played a large role in his slow start.
If Cuylle is learning on the fly, then then the last few games are definitely a step in the right direction. As of right now, Cuylle is probably an elite 3rd liner on a Cup contender, but when it comes to the Rangers Cup window he may develop into a top six winger. Trying it out won’t hurt, right?
JT Miller has looked a little more like himself since the game in Vancouver. Obviously we are in the dark as to how badly his preseason injury was, but perhaps all he needed was a little revenge game in Vancouver. Or perhaps we are finally just seeing the puck go in the net after some strong overall play. He’s definitely the emotional leader on and off the ice, so seeing the winner come from him was as good as it can get.
After being unable to beat Stuart Skinner at MSG, this was the kind of response game the Rangers needed. From killing off a late Mika Zibanejad penalty that carried over into the OT period, to Miller making a great move and winning the game, it was nice to finally see some good fortune. The icing on the cake was Connor McDavid’s stat line after the game: All zeroes.
The Rangers have taken four of six points on this road trip, with two more up for grabs in Seattle on Saturday night. A 5-5-2 record isn’t fun to look at, but it keeps the Rangers in the playoff conversation and keeps the 2013-2014 learning curve comparison intact. The Rangers have some very winnable games coming up, and with some flukier teams likely to come back down to Earth, they have a chance of making a nice little run to calm the naysayers.
Next stop is Seattle, and it should be another good test for the Rangers as the Kraken have quietly had a terrific start to their season. Does this sort of win propel the team forward into a long winning streak?
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