The New York Rangers defeated the Dallas Stars 2-0 at American Airlines Arena. For a box score, click here.
Any discussion of tonight’s game starts and ends with Henrik Lundqvist. Simply put the king took back his throne. Yes that’s cliche but Lundqvist was phenomenal tonight and earned every minute of that shutout (which he better get credit for).
I was told I was getting tonight’s recap because I was “fired up on twitter”. I was. Know why? This hit and subsequent response:
Even watching the replay I’m fuming. I have no idea what Cody Eakin was thinking but he had the rest of the night to figure it out as that was the end of the game for him. He should have a couple more days to think about it as well. But what infuriated me most was the response from the Rangers players on the ice. There was none. Nothing. Just to stare and then continue play as if nothing had happened while their best player lied face-first down on the ice.
I get it. At that moment, they were on the power play so it’s “the skilled guys” on the ice. But you don’t need a goon in this situation. Every player who reaches the NHL knows how to throw a punch. And if not, they need to learn. The thing was, the guys on the ice did know how to. It was J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Vesey, Rick Nash and Brady Skjei. Of those five, Hayes, Vesey and Skjei were right there when it happened. I’ll give Skjei a pass as he was wearing a full face shield after needing 19 stitches Tuesday night. The other two? Sorry, not acceptable. And it was even more unacceptable when they wasted the five minute power play.
Lundqvist would go to the locker room to undergo concussion protocol. Raanta would not face a shot over the next 5:31 and then the King would return and let everyone know he was fine.
The Rangers decided to take five penalties tonight. One before the hit, the rest in the second and third periods. The fifth one was the charm as there was a goal on that one…a shorthanded one by Rick Nash. I guess the positive in all those penalties was the penalty killers got to watch the Stars power play and Nash picked up something as his takeaway and rush up the ice was perfect and ended up leading to the game winner.
Zuccarello would add an empty net goal and the Rangers (much maligned) defense would allow the Stars only three shots in the third period to seal the victory. Was it the prettiest win of the season? For the 18 skaters, no it was not. But for the men in net, who for some reason are considered to have a combined shutout for first time in team history, it was a masterpiece. And that is why no one should have been worried about Lundqvist or when he would be returning to the net. As Vigneault said, the net is his. Tonight he showed why.
Next up, the Rangers conclude this road trip with a trip to Nashville for their first meeting of the season against the Predators on Saturday night.
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
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