In a cautious yet slightly entertaining night with a dash of lackluster, the Rangers come out on top with one last win to cap off the regular season. Obviously the priority with playoffs on the horizon was just to get in and get out, however it was definitely important for this group to end such a successful regular season on a high note. With it, the Rangers finish the season second in the Metropolitan Division as we knew they would, with a record of 52-24-6. Certainly something to be proud of but the journey is only beginning. The New York Rangers will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The most wonderful time of the year is truly upon us.
Prior to last nights game, the Rangers announced their annual team awards voted on by the players themselves. Much to no ones surprise, Igor Shesterkin was named the team MVP. An incredible year for the Rangers goaltender that no only gained attention from Rangers fans, but hockey fans as a whole. There is a very good chance Shesterkin will take home his first Vezina Trophy this season and should very much be a finalist for the Hart Trophy as you'd be very hard pressed to find many goalies in league history with a more impressive performance than Igor has had this year. Not to mention, he put up the numbers he did in one of the highest goal scoring seasons in league history.
The Rangers Good Guy Award was another one that didn't come as too much of a surprise as it went to Ryan Strome. Strome's always a great interview with the media, always giving profound, transparent responses, often keeping it light with a great sense of humor when applicable. All of the Rangers beat writers always mention Strome when asked who the best interview on the team is or who the easiest guy to talk to is and that goes a long way for sure. You always want to represent the team in a positive way and Stromer does a great job of that off the ice and it doesn't go unnoticed.
Lastly, the Player's Player Award would be split this year as Jacob Trouba and Barclay Goodrow would share the honor. In the past, Jesper Fast was always the lock for this award and Ryan Lindgren has been a big consideration for it since, however Trouba and Goodrow absolutely earned it this season. Goodrow has taken on a more versatile Jesper Fast type of role with this team and has been such a steady presence with this group. The guys love him, he works his tail off every night, where's many hats and can play anywhere in the lineup. Say what you will about his contract but he has been worth every penny of it this season and is a huge reason why the team is where it is.
Likewise, Jacob Trouba has been such a steady presence on the back end and without a doubt leads the team in fights this season. He never hesitates to stick up for his teammates, to make the big hit or defensive play. His role in the development of guys like K'Andre Miller and Braden Schneider has been huge to this team both in the now as well as the long term. Next to Kreider, he's probably the biggest leader on the team and without a doubt deserves the recognition along with Barclay Goodrow.
As for the game, the Rangers opted to go with more of a complete lineup, getting everyone back in the mix aside from Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp. Gallant kept the kid line together as well as his fourth and top line, leaving Strome with Barclay Goodrow and Johnny Brodzinski for the night. The reason I bring that up is Johnny Brodzinski. You have to think God forbid injuries occur in playoffs and Gallant needs his next man up that Brodzinski may be that guy. With all the storylines this season, Brodzinski has kind of gone under the radar. The fact alone that the Hartford Wolf Pack went from having one of their best seasons in recent history to falling off so badly that they missed the playoffs following Brodzinski's call up speaks volumes to what he brings to the table. He has far more skill than he gets credit for and gives 110% every time he's on the ice.
With Georgiev in net, the Rangers and Capitals dropped the puck for game 82 of 82 on a night that would solidify who takes third place in the Metro and plays the Rangers in round one. While the Rangers and Capitals had a scoreless first period, Pittsburgh took a very quick 3-0 lead against the Blue Jackets so there wasn't much time to wonder who the Rangers were likely going to see in playoffs. Just as we all anticipated, it would be the Penguins as they kept the lead through the night and got the win. On the Rangers end, Alexandar Georgiev played a very strong game which he definitely needed after the lackluster showing against Montreal.
After a scoreless second, Filip Chytil found the back of the net off assists from Kakko and Schneider. Fuuuuuuture. Regretfully, the lead wouldn't last long as Justin Schultz let a shot go just over 30 seconds later to tie the game up at one. 29 seconds after the goal, Kevin Rooney got called for tripping and 43 seconds into the power play, John Carlson let a slap shot go in the high slot to give Washington a 2-1 lead, Carlson's 17th on the year. The Caps held the lead for a chunk of the second period but with 4:16 left in the period, Alexis Lafreniere finished on a beautiful feed from Ryan Strome that started with Braden Schneider, nice two point night for him as Lafreniere collected his 19th of the season. A pretty good bust, eh?
The third period would be kept to one goal as Dryden Hunt showcased some silky mitts, tucking one away from behind the net for his sixth of the season to five the Rangers a 3-2 lead. Kaapo Kakko picking up his second assist of the night on the goal, Fox's 63rd assist on the year. The Rangers would hold the lead right up to the final buzzer as Alexandar Georgiev's 36 save night and solid showings from the kids got fans at the Garden on their feet for one last time during regular season. The last game of the year always has a classy touch to it as Sam and Joe give shoutouts to all the behind the scenes guys at MSG and the team caps the night off with Blueshirts off their Backs, giving signed jerseys to the fans. Although a little less climactic with all the social distancing. Hopefully in time fans will be able to come on the ice again.
As for the Rangers, you pretty much got what you wanted out of the game. Chytil got on the board, Kakko got another game under his belt with two apples in the process. The rest of the kids got plenty of opportunities and the team got one more win. As far as the concerns go. Ryan Lindgren looked to be in some pretty significant discomfort in his final shift of the night. You have to hope it's just some soreness that will begin going away today. Him being the tough player he is, I'm sure it isn't much to worry about. Lastly, while probably an overthought, Artemi Panarin did not come out with all the other scratches and injured players during Blueshirts off their backs. Hopefully the injury isn't more significant then were being told and it was just a weird coincidence that we didn't see him. On the flip side, it was great to see Sammy Blais and Tyler Motte out there, both of whom seemed to be walking fine, looking good. While Blais definitely won't return regardless of how far the Rangers go, you have to hope Tyler Motte is able to start skating soon and has a chance of a return at some point in post season.
With the playoff matchups all set in stone, the Rangers will have three days to prepare before game one takes place at the Garden on Tuesday Night. It's starting to feel like Christmas Eve Eve as were so close to the excitement but still feels so far away. The league has one more game tomorrow in Winnipeg and Seattle. A game that has absolutely no implications on playoffs but a game that needs to be played nonetheless. Enjoy the weekend before the quest for the cup begins Monday night and as always. LETS GO RANGERS.
Chris Feldman
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