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Recap: Rangers Bludgeon Blackhawks 7-1

Seven goals. Seven goal scorers. Seven multi-point players. Seven wins in a row.

The Rangers entered Sunday on a six game winning streak, mirroring the Blackhawks six game losing streak. Isn’t that fun? I think it’s fun.

In the first period, the Rangers did everything they could to keep those respective streaks going, hanging three goals on Arvid Soderblom and the Hawks. Filip Chytil scored the first after Adam Fox picked off a Jack Johnson pass. Artemi Panarin notched the second with a hard wrister set up, once again, by Fox. Kaapo Kakko accounted for the third on the rush after a couple quick passes from Alexis Lafreniere and Chytil. It was goal number eight on the season for all three of Chytil, Panarin, and Kakko. So much fun with numbers in this one.

The second period was significantly less fun for the Rangers, though they added to their lead. After a goal and an assist in the first, Chytil received a high, hard, and late hit from Sam Lafferty. He did not return to the game.  Chicago scored their first goal of the game as well, when Phillipp Kusharev’s backhand deflected off Jacob Trouba’s leg and into the net. Trouba managed to make up for it though, scoring his second goal of the year (and first against an actual goalie) off a drop pass from Mika Zibanejad. Eat your heart out, Anthanasiou.

Vincent Trocheck capped off the period with a quick powerplay goal on a deflection of Adam Fox’s point shot. The Rangers powerplay has scored on seven of its last 16 chances. But between the goals, the ice was tilted firmly in favor of the Blackhawks. They dominated puck possession and offensive zone time. That said, they didn’t actually create many chances with that time, and Igor Shesterkin was equal to most of what was thrown at him despite lots of physical contact from Blackhawks skaters.

With the score 5-1 going into the third, the Rangers didn’t let up. Instead they continued to create chances on the counterattack. Vitali Kravtsov scored on such a chance, when Panarin sprung him in the neutral zone. Braden Schneider, who hit a post earlier, reversed his puck luck for the seventh goal of the game when his point wrister deflected off of two Blackhawks and past Soderblom.

Not much to dislike for the Rangers in this one. Seven goals from seven players on a seven game win streak. Kinda fun! Hopefully Chytil won’t be out long. He’s been so solid when healthy but has had some bad injury luck this year.

The Rangers are next active on Tuesday in an intra-divisional matchup in Pittsburgh versus the Penguins.

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