The New York Rangers snapped their three game losing streak tonight with a 4-0 shutout win over the San Jose Sharks at MSG.
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They were handed their first loss of the season with a big 6-3 defeat to the New York Islanders in a match where San Jose allowed three straight goals in the final period after being tied 3-3 at the end of the 2nd frame.
As this lost season drags on, and even the ice grows exhausted of the Edmonton Oilers skating on it, I’m noticing more goals against where the entire Oilers team just doesn’t look sharp.
The Sharks were playing their third game in four nights. With Couture out, San Jose’s first power-play unit included Martin and Burns, plus Pavelski, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (3-2-1): Antti Raanta could finally make his Rangers debut Monday as Henrik Lundqvist has started each of the team’s first six games. “I feel pretty fresh, pretty good”. The 26-year-old Raanta has not appeared in a non-preseason National Hockey League contest since February 22, when he made a relief appearance against Boston while with Chicago.
“The D have done a good job in front of the net, and I am seeing pucks, but you don’t go four games like that with one guy”, said Jones, who was acquired in a trade with Boston. Karlsson, who is in San Jose with the AHL Barracuda, can’t help because he has a nagging lower body injury. “Especially when we had the puck, we couldn’t make any plays”.
After killing a Sharks 22-second, 5-on-3 power play, the Rangers capitalized on their first power play at 9:28 of the second period. Lindberg is one of just four rookies now leading their team outright in goals (also Anthony Duclair of the Coyotes, Jack Eichel of the Sabres and Connor McDavid of the Oilers). I just tried to put my prints out and just play and enjoy the game and don’t think about those things too much. San Jose recorded their lowest shot total of the year with 22 shots on goal as they didn’t apply the kind of pressure on backup goaltender Antti Raanta until the game was out of hand. Logan Couture, Joonas Donskoi, Ben Smith and the aforementioned Martin were all out for this one and might be again come Thursday night. “We want Marty back, we want Cooch back, we want Smitty back, but the D has responsibility and the forwards have responsibility”.
Defenseman Keith Yandle, with his fourth assist of the season, sprung Kreider out of the Rangers’ zone and Kreider got it to Fast, who beat defenseman Brenden Dillon to the crease.
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Jesper Fast had a breakaway goal in the third period. Jones attempted to poke the puck away from Fast, but it went off the inside of his stick, underneath him and into the net. “[We] gave up a lot of odd man rushes, but they’re a good team and they’re going to get chances like that”.
