Buffalo Game Was Rallying Cry For Soaring Rangers
Apr 6, 2016 11:12:34 GMT -5
Beans (BOS), bjernagris (PHI), and 1 more like this
Post by mbest (ANA) on Apr 6, 2016 11:12:34 GMT -5
BUFFALO GAME WAS RALLYING CRY FOR SOARING RANGERS
| The Rangers were staring at a potentially dreadful 1-5 start going into a road game at Buffalo Oct. 21. The rumors that Head Coach Alain Vigneault could be the first to the unemployment line this season were intensifying. With his team's back to the wall, Brad Marchand opened the scoring that night with a shorthanded goal but the Sabres Pavel Datsyuk answered before the power play ended. It was indicative of the Rangers start so far. A team that couldn't get on track. One step forward. One step back. However, down, 2-1, in the third in front of a hostile sold out crowed at First Niagara Center, New York unleashed a 20-6 barrage with Derick Brassard, Kevin Hayes and Jasper Fast finding the net. It was the second consecutive game the Rangers had outshot their opponent, 20-6, in the final period, but against St. Louis, the Blues had slipped in two of those six shots. "It was the spark we needed," said Rangers GM Mike Best. "The team reached down deep and three different lines came across with tallies." Vigneault added that multi-player involvement helped unite the locker room. "The team's effort has been solid since that night. It was a win that brought the guys together." Beginning with that victory in Buffalo, New York has gone 8-2-1. There have been a few bumps on the way: A third period loss to Philadelphia; a road loss to San Jose on a short day's rest; and injuries to Marchand, Marc Staal, Dan Boyle, Hayes and Artemi Panarin, the latter two going down in the shootout loss to Arizona. All missed games except Panarin, who continues to play with a strained rib cage muscle. Boyle is still out with a sore shoulder. Regardless, it's a been a stingy defense that has carried the way. While no one on the first line has more than two goals, it has been equally selfish in its own end (GA60: 1.31-1.53). The offense has come from the second line of Evander Kane (iNHL leading 11 goals), Brassard (12 pts) and Tyler Ennis (8 pts). |   |
Attachments:
