March 28th , 2023
Well, what can be said about this Ranger team. One that is rolling thru everybody right now. We can say that, thanks to Igor, it was not a 6-5 final. Atleast. Igor Shesterkin is peaking at the perfect time. 34 wins. His 1.84 goals against in the last 7 games is ridiculous as is his .952 save percentage. The slow starts are a problem, but thanks to Igor, they don’t factor into the score. Yes the Rangers need to tighten up the D early in games. If that’s New Jersey or Carolina,in the playoffs, its risky business. Thankfully, its been during the end of the regular season. These Rangers are so talented, they know they can score at any given time, so they try all sorts of crazy shit, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Gerard Gallant is purple in the face during these moments. After the 1st period where the Kids were all over the ice creating chances, Filip Chytil scored #22 to make it 1-0. Then, Vladdy T. made it 2-0, on a sick deflection off an even sicker pass from Braden Schneider. Next up, Patty Kane, on a shot that only 5 players in all of hockey can make, top shelf, top corner, above the goalies shoulder. Easy. Then, a bad penalty, 3-1, then Johnny Hockey, top shelf, 3-2. Gallant had seen enough.
The 4th line and Kid Line were deployed, offense from defense. Cycle. Puck possesion. Ozone time. Maybe Laf draws a penalty? Maybe Panarin snipes a power play goal? 4-2. That felt like enough. The defense played smarter, Igor stopped everything else. Including one where he flipped the puck in the corner, knowing it’s a t.v. timeout, like “you can’t get anything by me.” Mika scored to make it 5-2, his 81st point, assisted by the Breadman, his 84th point. 1st time since Rod Gilbert and Steve Vickers in the 70’s, 2 Rangers had back to back 80+ point seasons, back to back. Fox is about to go 70point back to back seasons. Kreider’s got 84 goals the last 2 years. Chytil, Kaako, and LaFreniere have all set career highs for points in a season, as has K’Andre Miller.
Vincent Trocheck scored his 20th on an empty netter, assist from an unselfish Lafreniere. Trocheck over Strome, allllll dayyyy, anyyy dayyyy!!!! He’s a whirling dervish, the Tasmanian Devil from Bugs Bunny. Oh yeah, we added Kane And Tarasenko. This team is crazy stacked and feeling it. RANGER NATION, GARDEN FAITHFUL, ENJOY THIS. We do, every second. Next up, the Devils. Thursday night. 2 huuuuuuuge points on the line. Second place and home ice, on the line. LET’s GO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!
