The Rangers beating the Hurricanes was not on my Thanksgiving bingo card. The Canes controlled most of the game due to their style of play and some questionable officiating that put them on multiple powerplays, but the Rangers top talent had better finishing in their limited shooting attempts. Igor Shesterkin rebounded nicely after a few off games as well. Carolina was again done in by the Rangers breaking their formula and taking advantage of their bad goaltending. It was certainly an unexpected win, given how the Rangers have looked, so perhaps this is the start of something fun.
For weeks, Igor Shesterkin hasn’t been exactly bad, but he also hasn’t been the elite goaltender people expect. Last night was a return to form. He got beat just twice, and one was due to a rough turnover from Braden Schneider and some poor recovery on defense. The shot from Seth Jarvis was also a perfect shot, so there was nothing Igor could really do. Sometimes, you just get beat. The important factor was the Rangers did not break down after that goal. There were 9 minutes left and it could have easily been a comeback win for the Hurricanes, but Igor and the Rangers took care of business, and walked away with two huge points in regulation.
A lot of people owe Adam Fox an apology. He is one of the best defensemen in the NHL, yet last year too many were ready to move him for peanuts because he played on a bad knee and had a bad Four Nations Tournament. This is no longer up for debate. How many times a game do we see Fox keep the zone when it looks like the opposition is going to get a clear? How many perfect passes, like the one that set up Artemi Panarin’s goal, do we see that some forwards can’t even make? Fox has come to play this season, and with the tune now of 22 points in 25 games, Fox is back and better than ever. Amazing what he can do when he isn’t carrying around the corpse of Ryan Lindgren.
Vincent Trocheck has his flaws, but he might be one of the most underrated centers in the entire league. Prior to him coming back from injury, the top six had a look of total discombobulation, and the Rangers couldn’t replace what Trocheck brings. The goal to open the third period was exactly what the Rangers weren’t able to bring when he was out.
The Canes focused on Panarin with the puck, and for good reason. Trocheck found the open ice and put himself in a position to receive a pass and rifle it top shelf without hesitation. That’s not to say the rest of the top six can’t do that, but now the lines feel more complete. The Rangers have a lot of ground to make up in the standings, and they are going to need more games like this if they want to have any semblance of a chance to compete for the postseason eventually.
With that, a Happy Thanksgiving to you the reader and to your family, friends, and loved ones. Us at Blue Seat Blogs can’t thank you enough for your support over the years. Let’s go Rangers!
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