After a wild finish on Saturday in Vancouver, the New York Rangers are one win away from a perfect western road trip. The only obstacle in the way of perfection is the 4-3-1 Winnipeg Jets. Monday’s contest in “The ‘Peg” is the final leg of the road trip before The Blueshirts head back home to The City That Never Sleeps.
Outstanding goaltending, brave shot-blocking, and a whirlwind of power play goals were some of the keys to success in the last four games for New York. Taking down the likes of Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver are all because of four defensive masterclasses from Peter Laviolette and his coaching staff. Here are a few takeaways from New York’s roller coaster of a victory on Saturday with a preview of Monday’s matchup with the Jets.
To Trip or Not to Trip? That Is the Question
It is only fitting to start with the elephant in the room. Was it or was it not a trip on Chris Kreider?
Incredible individual effort by Chris Kreider setting up K’Andre Miller for the OT winner.
4 wins in a row for #NYR pic.twitter.com/SSAL2PLtDv
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) October 29, 2023
After rewatching the play from multiple angles, it would not have been a surprise if Kreider got called for tripping. Alas, it remained a no-call and K’Andre Miller called the game with a clapper on a dish from the near offender.
No goals at even strength might be alarming, but it is not time to hit the panic button just yet. This just goes to show you how this power play can step up in any given scenario when a goal is needed. The Vancouver Canucks played a resilient hockey game. Newly named captain Quinn Hughes looked dominant and controlled the game on his blade whenever he was on the ice. The deciding factor might have been his counterpart: Adam Fox.
It was nowhere near a perfect game for “Foxy Clean”. After all, it was his turnover that led to the shorthanded goal from Tyler Myers, ripping a shot past an uncontested Igor Shesterkin. However, the lack of discipline from Vancouver allowed Fox to tie the game just three minutes later on the 5-on-3.
Mika October: Better Late Than Never
The weight has been lifted off of the shoulders of Mika Zibanejad who tallied his first goal of the season. His power play goal made it 3-2, before the eventual game-tying goal from Vancouver’s Carson Soucy.
Mika October: ☑️ pic.twitter.com/U7gFRiAlmr
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 29, 2023
By no means has Zibanejad’s year been disappointing, rather frustrating. He is not afraid to shoot the puck, it just seemed that he was doing everything but scoring. You can tell just from watching the game how much that goal meant to him. It was almost as if his drawing of the double minor high-sticking penalty was the final straw. After that, it was a change in style from #93. It can only be compared to when a shark senses blood in the water. Zibanejad flipped a switch and found his goal, throwing a shot on net past Vancouver netminder Casey DeSmith. His three-point performance earned him Saturday’s Broadway Hat, his first honour of the year.
Happy Mika October. 😇 pic.twitter.com/bhsRfeKPx6
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 29, 2023
Despite notching his first goal of the season on Saturday, Zibanejad is still a point-per-game player with one goal and seven assists. New York’s top-line centre is continuing to grow in different facets of his game. The most impressive difference in his game has to be in the faceoff department.
Last year, Zibanejad won 49.5% of his faceoffs (via StatMuse). This season, he currently sits at 49.2%, but that can well be over half of his faceoffs by April. This is thanks to the new coaching staff, specifically the former centreman Michael Peca. Zibanejad, Nick Bonino, Filip Chytil, and Vincent Trocheck are each improving at the dot.
“Hello My Friend, We Meet Again!”
Only one more matchup stands in the way of a perfect western road trip for the Rangers. Their fifth and final game on the road trip is in a city familiar to one of the new Blueshirts. Blake Wheeler will return to Winnipeg for the first time in a new uniform after spending 12 seasons with the Jets. Expect an emotional tribute on Monday for the former captain.
GAME DAY. pic.twitter.com/3WnzZKXgcx
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 30, 2023
Winnipeg sits in third place in the Central Division, holding a record of 4-3-1. A busy night is in order for New York’s netminder (likely Igor Shesterkin) as Winnipeg has scored at least three goals in their last five games. New York’s remarkable defence is going to have their hands full with Kyle Connor who leads the team with five goals.
The Blake Wheeler Reunion Game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. EST puck drop from Canada Life Centre.
Main Photo Credit: Simon Fearn-USA TODAY Sports
