The New York Rangers lost to the Minnesota Wild 5–4 in overtime, putting the team’s six-game winning streak to an end. Many players impressed, but three players truly stood out from the bunch.
Erik Gustafsson gets two points on the board
The defenseman who really shined for the Rangers in the game against the Wild is Erik Gustafsson. Gustafsson scored a goal at the end of the first period and even made a key assist on Chris Kreider’s goal later in the game.
Gustafsson had some nice defensive plays in this game and created opportunities for others. Erik Gustafsson has been an underrated signing for the Blueshirts and hopefully, he keeps performing well with the team.
Artemi Panarin’s point streak continues
The Streak Continues. Panarin’s point streak extended to 11 straight games against the Wild.
Panarin had two points in this game as he scored a goal and even made an assist as well. Panarin is one of the best players in this league and if he keeps this up, he could lead the league in points this season.
- Rangers need major improvements to stay in Metropolitan Division race
- Two Rangers bottom-six forwards are having the best seasons of their careers
- Rangers need their elite backup to stick around for at least one more season
What would the Rangers do without Chris Kreider?
In the Blueshirts’ last game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Chris Kreider tied Andy Bathgate with the fourth-highest amount of goals scored as a Ranger. After scoring a goal against the Wild, Kreider has now surpassed Andy Bathgate in the franchise history record books.
If Kreider stays healthy and continues to play well, he will likely surpass Adam Graves in the Rangers’ franchise record books as well. Kreider gets bonus points for being No. 1 by scoring the goal that helped get the Blueshirts to overtime and thus getting a point in this game.