Recap: Rangers Pick Up a Point in Shootout Loss

With Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow all out of the line-up, the Rangers were up for their first adversity test of the season. Despite an impressive start, the Rangers lost control of the game but a strong night from Jonathan Quick kept them involved and forced the first shootout of the season.

1st Period:

After a great start for the Rangers, the fourth line got them on the board on their first shift of the night just three and a half minutes into the game. Ryan Lindgren let a shot go from the point that deflected off of Tyler Pitlick and redirected off of Jimmy Vesey who went hard to the net to capitalize on the scoring chance. Vesey’s first of the season with Tyler Pitlick picking up his first point as a Ranger in just his second game in the line up.

A couple of minutes later, the Rangers executed a clean breakout and for his 17th point of the season, extending his point streak to eleven games, Artemiy Panarin let a shot go through traffic to make it a 2-0 game. At this point, you have to think Panarin is without question the hottest player in the National Hockey League. To put up points in each of the first eleven games of the season is one thing but to average close to two points a game in the process is another.

One minute after Panarin’s goal, Will Cuylee entered the zone and moved the puck over to Blake Wheeler. Wheeler then gave Erik Gustafsson a crisp pass to set him up for a perfect shot with plenty of time and space that he confidently took advantage of to make it a 3-0 game.

Gustafsson’s goal would chase the other Gustafsson (Filip) out of the Wild net to be replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury.

The momentum would change drastically as K’Andre Miller caught Joel Eriksson-Ek with a high stick for the first penalty of the night close to the midway point of the first. Jonathan Quick came up with a couple early saves which helped the Rangers kill the penalty off. Quick however would send them back to the penalty kill not long after as he tripped up Marco Rossi at the top of the crease.

Quick continued his brilliance through the second man advantage for Minnesota, making a beautiful cross crease glove save off a one timer. The play was quickly reviewed as it looked as if the puck may have been caught over the goal line.

Upon review, the call on the ice stood, the Rangers preserved the 3-0 lead and killed off the rest of the penalty. Again, the penalties were hurting the momentum and the Rangers couldn’t seem to bounce back from it. Braden Schneider would give Minnesota a third power play attempt with just under six minutes to go in the period. The Rangers would kill off yet another one however this time around, it wouldn’t be a full two minute advantage.

With 19 seconds to go on the attempt, Ryan Lindgren took a stick to the face from old friend Mats Zuccarello which would result in their first power play attempt of the night. The top power play unit moved the puck around rather well but couldn’t find a way to get it on net. Despite the dominant start from the Blueshirts, they went well over half the period without a single shot on goal as the penalties kept them out of the offensive zone. At the end of the first, shots were 14-7 in favor of the Wild, with them having the advantage in high danger scoring chances and expected goals for as well.

2nd Period:

Much of the same to start the second period as the Rangers spent the majority of the first five minutes defending in their own zone. As time went on, they pushed and had one strong shift in Minnesota’s zone.  Six minutes in, Ryan Hartman was able to get a stick on a scramble in front of the net to put the Wild on the scoreboard. This would be only the second goal Jonathan Quick had allowed in eight periods of play through the Rangers first eleven games on the season.

Less than 30 seconds after the Wild made it a 3-1 game, Quick lost his stick on the play and Brock Faber made a beautiful pass to Eriksson-Ek who was left all alone on the Rangers doorstep to put it home.

All of a sudden, the Rangers watched a 3-0 lead turn into a one goal differential which resulted in Peter Laviolette utilizing his team’s time out. Still, the Rangers couldn’t find that same intensity level they began the night with. The Wild were continuing to control the play and the Rangers were being out played significantly throughout the period. Shots were now 25-12 in favor of Minnesota with the Rangers barely getting anything on net after the three goals at the start of the night.

3rd Period:

Things went from bad to worse just two minutes into the final period of regulation as Mats Zuccarello redirected a Jonas Brodin shot to complete the comeback and tie the game up at three.

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s former Rangers scoring against the Rangers and Zuccarello is the king of that theory.

Shortly after the goal, Vincent Trocheck landed a check on Kirill Kaprizov at center ice that left him down one the ice and leaking. It looked as though Kaprizov’s own stick caught him as a result of the hit which rightfully did not result in a penalty. However, from that moment on the Wild were playing with an edge. They were fast, physical and were very clearly taking control of this game.

Several minutes later, Kaprizov bounced the puck off a broken stick on the ice that landed right on the stick of Marco Rossi in front of the Rangers net who put the puck past Quick to give the Wild a 4-3 lead. Thankfully, the lead wouldn’t last too long as just over a minute later, Chris Kreider got a stick on a shot from Artemiy Panarin after a face-off won by Zibanejad.

That is career goal number 273 from Kreider for his eighth of the season to officially put him in sole possession of fourth all-time goal scorer in franchise history. What a journey his storied tenure with the Rangers has been as it is such a joy to continue to watch him thrive at this point in his career.

The Wild would get the next big chance as they picked up their fourth power play chance on the night. Quick continued to come up big with some key saves as the Rangers remained perfect on the penalty kill. The final five minutes of regulation would prove to be challenging as the Rangers had a brutal stretch where their third line was caught out there for over three minutes as Minnesota dominated an exhausted group of Rangers in their own end. Again, Jonathan Quick was arguably the best player for the Rangers, making two big saves before they finally managed to clear the zone.

Play trickled down as the buzzer indicating the end of regulation went off. The game would require extra time as the score was tied at four with each team earning at least one point from the night. The Rangers were out-shot 38-19 through regulation but it could have been much worse as the Rangers blocked 31 shots on the night.

Overtime:

The Rangers won the initial face-off which almost always plays a huge role in overtime. They maintained a solid minute and a half of possession but didn’t get any shots off. The possession game switched to Minnesota’s end as they held the puck for the next couple of minutes but Quick turned away each of their chances. A bad turnover from K’Andre Miller in the final minute almost caught them but alas, we were headed to the Rangers’ first shootout of the season.

Shootout:

Minnesota elected to shoot first and of course, Zuccarello pulled off a clean forehand-backhand-forehand move to score.

Artemiy Panarin was up first for the Rangers and was quick to answer after a missed poke check from Marc-Andre Fleury.

A big save from Quick shutdown Kaprizov’s attempt and Mika Zibanejad was turned away after pulling off a move similar to Zuccarello’s.

Matt Boldy rung a shot off the post that hit off the back of Quick and rolled past the goal line. An incredibly unfortunate goal that ended up being the deciding factor as Vincent Trocheck was stopped by Fleury to give Minnesota the win. Jonathan Quick certainly deserved better in this one but frankly, the Rangers didn’t do much after putting up those three goals that gave any indication that they deserved to win this game. They may have been missing some key players but blowing a three goal lead after the start they had is pretty unacceptable.

The Rangers are back at it Tuesday night as they’ll head home to New York to host the Detroit Red Wings. It’ll be interesting to see if any changes are made to the lineup, specifically on the back end as the Jones-Schneider pair really doesn’t seem to be working. The Red Wings are off to a hot start of their own so it will be another big test for a shorthanded Rangers team.

Tuesday night will also be the Rangers first National Broadcast on TNT this season.