Fri AM BRB (4-16-21): The Rise of the Rangers
This Day in Music (4-16-1939)
British pop singer Dusty Springfield is born in London.
Photo Credit: @NYRangers/Twitter
Though a charge to the postseason remains an uphill climb, the Rangers clinical 4-0 dismantling of the New Jersey Devils proved the explosive Blueshirts are peaking at the right time. The Rangers wasted no time Thursday night in showcasing that Tuesday’s shutout was no fluke, jumping on the Devils early and often. Jacob Trouba, who has elevated his game in every way this year except goal scoring, found his second tally of the year 47 seconds into the game. Trouba has thrived in a leadership role in 2021 and last night his goal served as a catalyst turning the Rangers into a runaway train the Devils simply couldn’t stop. The team was equally electrified when roughly five minutes later, Ryan Lindgren got off an 18-month goal-scoring skid netting his first of the year. If that wasn’t enough for you, Artemi Panarin contributed one of the finest marriages of hockey IQ and jaw-dropping skill one will see all year. After Ryan Strome carried a Colin Blackwell pass up ice creating a 2 on 1, Panarin stopped on a dime creating the perfect angle to bomb home Strome’s pass and put the game out of reach before it even started. The Breadman added his second goal of the evening in the second period, and while what appeared to be Vitali Kravtsov’s career was frustratingly ruled offsides, there was nothing for the Rangers to feel bad about on Thursday. Igor Shesterkin recorded his second shutout in as many games and had the Garden Faithful eating out of the palm of his hand for the first time in his young career. While the Rangers still remain four points behind the Boston Bruins for a postseason berth, the Blueshirts have quietly accumulated the best goal differential in the division. Not too bad for a team that’s apparently a year or two away from being a legitimate threat.
The Rangers found themselves in the rare position of rooting for their rivals on Thursday as the Islanders faced off against the Boston Bruins. Unfortunately for both New York parties, the result was not the desired one as the Bruins stifled the Isles in a 4-1 win at TD Garden. Bruins goaltender Tuuka Rask stopped 22 shots en route to the 300th victory of his career, with Travis Zajac’s first Islanders goal being the only shot to best him on the night. The veteran forward showed off exactly why the Islanders acquired him, camping himself in front of net and slamming home a beautiful behind the net pass from Mathew Barzal. Cutting the Bruins lead to 2-1 was as close as the Isles got however, as newest Bruins star Taylor Hall extended the lead back to two with his first goal for his new team. The Islanders continued to play their game, out-hitting the Bruins and blocking 19 shots on the evening, but even the Isles physical execution couldn’t slow Boston on Thursday. Professional pest Brad Marchand iced the game for good with his second of the night, bookending a fairly perfect performance from a Bruins team fighting to maintain their playoff position. Though the loss doesn’t set the Islanders back too much in a vacuum, the team has to be as mindful of the one point gap between them and three seed Pittsburgh as they are of the two point gap keeping them from first place. Without a doubt, the Islanders have been the NHL’s most formidable home team posting an 18-2-2 record at their beloved barn in Uniondale. Yet, the team has struggled away from their friendly confines, going 9-10-2 in road games. To exacerbate this issue, the team the Islanders would face in a potential 2 vs. 3 matchup would be the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that had the Isles number this season and boasts an impressive 16-3-2 home record in their own right. With that being said, so long as Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello are at the helm, it’s hard to imagine the Islanders will take their eyes off the prize.