Rangers give the rest of the NHL reason to take notice

The New York Rangers marched into Boston and authored a statement victory over the Bruins that reverberates beyond a single game. They won 6-2 on Black Friday and notched their third consecutive victory.

The Blueshirts controlled the match from start to finish. Without a doubt, it was their best performance of the season.

Context matters. They were coming off a road win against the Carolina Hurricanes, while some analyses downplayed the achievement by focusing on the shot differential. At five-on-five, the Rangers had been more efficient at generating quality chances, and the team showed discipline to avoid costly penalties. All of that resurfaced in Boston, and this time, the execution was reflected in the box score.

Artemi Panarin recorded four points with the serenity of someone conducting an orchestra. Mika Zibanejad rediscovered his scoring touch on the power play with the one-timer everyone knows by heart, and he did it twice in less than a minute, with Panarin and Adam Fox on the sequence.

Fox added three assists and extended his point streak. Vincent Trocheck continued his near point-per-game production. Alexis Lafrenière battled for his space and was rewarded with the story-sealing empty-net goal. The narrative of an aging core loses steam when the main characters remind you who they are.

Rangers showed signs of the depth that wins games

The real difference was in the depth. A commitment to rolling four lines paid dividends, with each unit establishing a clear advantage in five-on-five shot battles.

That confidence did not come from nowhere. It comes from weeks of progress from the bottom six, with Noah Laba, Brett Berard, Sam Carrick, Adam Edstrom and Jonny Brodzinski appearing near the crease and creating clear chances. Having the third and fourth units push the play forward is what separates a competitive team from a dominant one.

There were also tactical details. More discipline. A greater ability to draw penalties. Less time handed to the opponent for free. When the game is played at five-on-five and your offensive efficiency holds, the ice tilts in your favor. That's how it was in Boston. That's how it's starting to look during this streak.

The good hockey was always there, but luck and some tactical nuances had obscured it. Now it's visible. Three straight wins, a producing core, a responding depth and a game plan that balances play.