Three takeaways from the Rangers' OT win over the Minnesota Wild
Rangers center Vincent Trocheck and Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL game Thursday in St. Paul, Minn. Credit: AP/Abbie Parr
Things were looking bleak for the Rangers after their last game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a four-goal loss in a huge matchup last Sunday at Madison Square Garden that had massive playoff implications.
But things are looking better after Braden Schneider scored 1:51 into overtime to give the Rangers a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. The win, coupled with the Blue Jackets’ 4-0 loss to Vegas, left the Rangers and Blue Jackets tied in points for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference (Columbus has played one fewer game).
So the Rangers (32-28-6, 70 points) will get a do-over against the Blue Jackets on Saturday in Columbus (31-26-8, 70). A win would vault them over Columbus and into the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference for the first time since Dec. 11.
Here are three takeaways from Thursday’s win over Minnesota, which set the table for Saturday’s showdown:
1. Vincent Trocheck's drought is over
That was a look of relief, not joy, on Trocheck’s face after he scored the first goal of the game for the Rangers at 6:45 of the second period Thursday. The goal was his first since Feb. 7 — he’d been goalless in 11 straight games — and it came after he shanked a shot off Will Cuylle's pass but got the puck back because Cuylle kicked it back to him. The Rangers hope they won’t have to wait another 11 games for Trocheck to score his next goal. As many good things as he does for them — he centers the first line, wins faceoffs, plays on the power play, kills penalties and plays a ton of minutes — the team needs him to score a goal every so often, too.
2. Some well-deserved home cooking for Jonny Brodzinski
When Brodzinski took that drop pass from Zac Jones and sniped it past Filip Gustavsson to give the Rangers a short-lived 2-1 lead early in the third period Thursday, it was a huge moment for the hometown kid from Ham Lake, Minnesota. The goal was his career-high seventh of the season. Brodzinski, 31, has bounced around professional hockey, playing 313 games in the AHL and 192 in the NHL, and he always has a positive attitude whether he’s in the minor leagues or in and out of the NHL lineup as the extra forward. He’s a leader for the young guys, most of whom he played with on the Rangers’ AHL team in Hartford, and he’s been a versatile forward who can fill any role the Rangers ask. Right now, he’s centering a fourth line between Brennan Othmann and Matt Rempe that has been really good the last few games.
3. It hasn’t been a stellar year for Igor Shesterkin, but he's getting better
Shesterkin is 22-22-4 with a 2.85 GAA and a .906 save percentage, which are below his career marks of 2.50 and .918, but his game is starting to pick up. He stopped 26 of 28 shots Thursday, and in his last five games, he’s got a 2.19 GAA and a .919 save percentage. It’s not vintage Vezina Trophy finalist Igor yet, but it’s an uptick at a time when the Rangers really need it.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
