Rangers' Braden Schneider has memorable night in Edmonton with parents in attendance

VANCOUVER — Braden Schneider’s parents made the five-hour drive from their home in Saskatchewan to see him play with the Rangers in Edmonton Thursday night, and the 22-year-old defenseman rewarded them by scoring his first goal of the season in the second period. Schneider fired a shot from the blue line that went straight into the top left corner of the net, giving the Rangers their second goal in a 3-0 win over the Oilers.

“I saw the pass coming and I saw some open ice, and [Jimmy] Vesey made an unbelievable play [passing it],’’ Schneider said. “I just tried to get it through the one guy that was in front of me, and fortunately, it went in.’’

As a bonus, Schneider had the second assist on Alexis Lafreniere’s goal later in the period to secure his first two points of the season.

“Something special for them is a good hit and a good game,’’ a smiling Schneider said. “That was above and beyond.’’

“It was a really good shot,’’ Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said Friday, following the Rangers’ practice at Rogers Arena, where they will play the Vancouver Canucks Saturday, in the fourth of their seasonlong five-game road trip. “He had some downhill momentum going behind him, and he was really able to unleash it. Just a terrific shot.’’

Schneider had not had the greatest of starts to the season, playing on the third defense pair partnered mostly with newcomer Erik Gustafsson. At some point during the current trip, Laviolette said he had a chat with the youngster, though Schneider, he said, did most of the talking.

Since then, Laviolette said he’s noticed an upswing in Schneider’s play, as the Rangers won the first three games of the trip.

“I think, between… just some conversations, and I think Phil [Housley, the Rangers’ associate coach] working with him, [he’s] just getting back to playing a simple game, a physical game, establishing an identity,’’ Laviolette said. “I think since his game has become a little bit more physical… his game has, for me, been noticeably better.’’

Laviolette has said often that he believes the pairing of Schneider and Gustafsson, 31, who signed with the Rangers as a free agent this summer, has been good. Gustafsson leads the team in plus/minus (plus-6) and provides a veteran presence to play alongside Schneider, who is in his third season.

“When I came here, I understood he was, like, a stay-at-home defenseman,’’ Gustafsson said. “But that guy has so much more skills than he knows, I think. He can handle the puck in transition, and on breakouts, and make smart plays on the blue line. And the shot he has, too… We haven't seen that one-timer yet, but he has a heavy one-timer. And the wrist shot, we saw it [Thursday] night. He's a complete, all around, great defenseman.’’

From the blue line

Defenseman K’Andre Miller did not practice Friday. The Rangers said he got the day off for “maintenance’’ reasons… Forward Barclay Goodrow is expected to play in his 500th game Saturday… The road trip concludes with a game against the Jets in Winnipeg on Monday.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

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.