The former 2020 second-round pick, William Cuylle, found a feed from Jacob Trouba and notched his first game-winning goal to help extend New York’s winning streak. After a five-game, ten-day road trip, the Rangers returned to Madison Square Garden for a divisional tilt with the pesky and talented Carolina Hurricanes. Having already lost their first Metropolitan matchup to the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York looked to find momentum against a talented rival.
Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen stood tall in their respective creases. With both netminders each allowing a power play goal in the first period, both clubs tried excelling in the defensive department. Chris Kreider and Seth Jarvis buried goals on the man advantage. The difference maker was a rookie, Will Cuylle, who put home his first game-winning goal of his young career. His goal now extends New York’s impressive winning streak to six straight victories. Here are a few takeaways from last night’s divisional battle.
Two Men Out
The Rangers showed a tonne of resilience last night, playing the majority of the contest down two men. Late in the first period, Adam Fox collided with Sebastian Aho in the offensive zone. The play was not called for a penalty, which Fox disagreed with. Following the impact, Fox headed to the locker room and remained out for the rest of the game with a lower-body injury. He will miss some time after being placed on the LTIR. In addition, Filip Chytil suffered an upper-body injury later on in the night and has since been subsequently placed on the IR. Here is Head Coach Peter Laviolette‘s response to the hit on Fox from Aho.
It is always a damper to the morale when you lose a player for the rest of the game. When it’s two red-hot players like Fox and Chytil, it says a lot about the depth of the team, especially when you pull out a victory. Props need to be given to Erik Gustafsson who filled in for Fox on the first power play unit. Yes, they only went 1-for-5 with Fox still being on the ice for the Kreider goal. It is still a difficult position for someone to come in a fill the skates of one of the best power play quarterbacks in the entire league. Gustafsson has been solid in the first ten games and is proving to be an excellent defensive partner to Braden Schneider.
The Start of Depth Scoring?
Throughout the road trip, the Rangers showcased defensive masterclasses in all five games. When it came to scoring, the powerplay and top six carried the weight of goals as expected. If there was a negative that came out of this road trip is that the lack of depth goal-scoring is evident.
Will Cuylle and His Broadway Hat Deserving Goal
In a close game like the one we all saw last night; you expect the big guns to create a game-changing moment. Instead, it was a rookie who found an opportunity and put home his first game-winner. Will Cuylle, one of my preseason standouts, found a pass from Jacob Trouba alone in the slot. He buried his chance past Andersen, and it ended up being the difference. Furthermore, Cuylle ended up with the first star of the game and the Broadway Hat for his performance.
Cuylle’s goal is the spark that is needed for the bottom six to provide impactful moments, especially in close games. His linemates, Vincent Trocheck and Blake Wheeler, have to get going. If they don’t, it might be a long season for New York. However, the top six needs to perform as well. Yet, with Chytil and Fox expected to miss some time. This means the depth needs to do their best Greatest Showman impression and “Come Alive.”
Reuniting With an Old Friend
As soon as The Blueshirts come back home, they will get on the plane today and head to Minnesota. A trip to “The Land of 10,000 Lakes” is in store as the Rangers play visitor to the Wild on Saturday. The Wild have three point-per-game players on their roster including a Rangers legend, Mats Zuccarello.
“Zucc” has been loving life up in Minnesota. Moreover, he has even developed a strong friendship on and off the ice with Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild will long to find a way to break through New York’s strong defensive core. With the potential absence of Adam Fox, New York will look for another form of dominance.
Puck drop is scheduled from the Xcel Energy Center on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. (Don’t forget clocks go back tonight).
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