The Rangers schedule has and will continue to be brutal. Players are either dropping like flies or dealing with bumps and bruises. Despite that, the Blueshirts are racking up wins, having gone 5-1 in their recent six games in nine days stretch. The schedule, though, doesn’t get any easier the next five games. Matchups against the Jets, Bruins, Panthers, Flyers and Avalanche loom.
New York had several heroes in the five victories. First and foremost, the performance of Igor Shesterkin, as well as Jonathan Quick, between the pipes. Shesterkin stopped 101 of the 108 shots he faced and allowed just seven goals while going 4-1. Quick saw just one game, but his victory over the Penguins on Saturday was the 390th of his career, moving him ahead of Dominik Hasek into 16th place on the NHL’s all-time list. In addition, Quick is now one win from tying Ryan Miller for most ever by an American and should notch victory #400 next season.
Artemi Panarin continues to roll. His assist Sunday gave the high-scoring winger 94 points on the season. He sits just two points shy of tying his career-high set two years ago and six south of hitting the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Panarin has not been content to gain the blueline and do a little buttonhook, as was his pattern, but he is attacking on offense and also shooting more than in the past. He has set a new career-high in that category with 14 games remaining, evidencing his change in style.
Mika Zibanejad looks to be rounding into Mika-March form. Sunday was his third goal in five games, and this one was a one-timer blasted past Ilya Sorokin on a pass from Jack Roslovic. If that line can get going like the Panarin line is and Zib goes on a run like we have seen in the past, New York becomes an even tougher team to face. What has made a difference is the bottom six. Kaapo Kakko has scored on back-to-back games and has been a difference-maker on both ends of the ice. Will Cuylle notched his 12th goal of the season Sunday and remained a physical presence, notching eight more hits to give him 220 on the season.
Even without Jacob Trouba, sidelined with a lower-body injury, the blueline was solid. K’Andre Miller notched five points in the last two contests and has been playing his best hockey since the 2022 stretch run and playoffs. Braden Schneider has excelled paired with Miller and they should remain as a duo even when Trouba returns. With Trouba out, Zac Jones has ably stepped in, playing his best hockey as a Ranger. Adam Fox has been his usual steady self paired with Ryan Lindgren.
Sunday, though, Lindgren joined Trouba on the list of injured blueliners. In addition, Zibanejad continues to wear a full face shield after taking a puck to the jaw in Thursday’s 6-3 loss in Tampa. Fox has been hobbled by the recent pounding, augmented by blocking several shots. The focus now, though, is on Lindgren, who could be sidelined long-term after getting his leg caught underneath him when he was checked into the end boards by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Chad Ruhwedel will likely make his first Rangers appearance on Tuesday against the Jets, as New York hopes the injury is not as bad as it appears.
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