By Tom Canavan
Tying their longest winning streak in eight seasons, thrashing the rival New Jersey Devils, getting two goals from Alexis Lafreniere and another outstanding performance from goaltender Igor Shesterkin wasn’t the difference for the New York Rangers.
All they wanted to talk about was their penalty kill after a 5-1 win over the Devils on Thursday extended their winning streak to nine games.
“I think we really never get them get set and I think just in general, especially after the first five-minute kill, we had confidence in our our kill and the way we were pressuring, the way we were taking time and space away, with all the kills,” Rangers center Mika Zibanejad said. “That was great.”
The initial kill set the tone for the game and Zibanejad scored on a power play minutes after that kill, and the Rangers never looked back.
“Our PK has kind of slipped the last couple games and we’ve talked about that and wanted to do a good job tonight,” Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said. “We answered and kind of put more details into it, a little more attention on how we want to kill penalties. And yeah, I think if we get into special teams games, I think the PK knows if we if we can do a good job, our power play is going to get a couple.”
Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck also scored for New York and Artemi Panarin added three assists. Shesterkin made five of his 39 saves on the major and picked up his first assist of the season as the Rangers moved within a win of tying their longest winning streak in franchise history.
The Rangers won 10 straight twice, in 1972-73 and 1939-40, a year New York won the third of its four Stanley Cup titles.
Jack Hughes broke up Shesterkin’s bid for a second shutout this season with 2:07 to play. Nico Daws made 13 saves for New Jersey, which lost its second straight and for the third time in four games.
“We got to score on so many opportunities in a power play,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “We weren’t sharp enough in the first power play; It was better but just couldn’t find the back of the net and it is what it is. We’ll work on it, flush it right now and move on.”
This one was embarrassing at home as Rangers fans made it feel like the game was across the river at Madison Square Garden.
“We just got to regroup,” Hughes said. “We got to digest tonight and then we got to wrap our heads around changing our attitude and really believing in ourselves and not just talking, like in saying that, but actually doing that.”
Zibanejad’s 19th of the season came 5 seconds after Curtis Lazar was called for slashing Shesterkin.
Lafreniere doubled the lead with 2:04 left in the first period with a shot in close after New Jersey defenseman Luke Hughes turned the puck over in front of his net with the teams playing 4 on 4.
Kreider scored on a counterattack in the second period that was set up by Shesterkin making a pass from his crease to Panarin at the Devils’ blue line. Lafreniere got his second on a breakaway set up by Trocheck, who tallied late in the third on Panarin’s final assist.
UP NEXT
Rangers: At Philadelphia on Saturday.
Devils: Host Montreal on Saturday.
