The New York Rangers are showing no signs of slowing down. They continued their winning ways on Tuesday night in a 7–2 demolition over the Montreal Canadiens. Filip Chytil led the way for the Blueshirts with a standout three-point performance on the road.
Igor Shesterkin has continued his campaign as the greatest goalie in the world
The talk of the town has been whether or not the Rangers will pay Igor Shesterkin. The world-class goalie is seeking a contract to make him the highest-paid goalie of all time — a price tag that is unclear whether or not New York is willing to pay. However, so far this season, Shesterkin is proving to be worth the lofty price.
In the Rangers’ win over the Canadiens, Shesterkin was spectacular once again, saving 21 of the 23 shots he faced for a .913 SV%. Shesterkin has only surrendered 10 goals in five games played this season with a .932 SV% on the campaign.
The Rangers’ defense has gone from a weakness to a strength
If there was a weakness to identify in last season’s Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers team, it was the defense. However, this season, that defensive corps has been altered just slightly, but just enough to turn that weakness into a strength.
Ryan Lindgren made his season debut on Tuesday night. He skated well, as did the rest of the defensemen, with no one finishing the game with a negative rating. Maligned captain Jacob Trouba was the true standout, posting a +5 rating.
Filip Chytil turns in a breakout performance
Tuesday night’s outing might have been one of the best of Filip Chytil’s career. He tallied three points (two goals and one assist) in the outing, supercharging the Rangers’ bottom six as the 3C. Chytil now has five points in five games played this season.
The Blueshirts’ bottom six powered the team’s victory
The Rangers are known for having one of the league’s most star-studded top-six forwards. However, in this win over Montreal, the majority of the team’s goal-scoring contributions came from the team’s underrated bottom six.
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Chytil led the way with two goals and three points. On his same line, though, Will Cuylle added two assists and Kaapo Kakko pocketed one goal and two assists. On the fourth line, Jonny Brodzinski added one goal, Adam Edstrom had one assist, and Sam Carrick had one assist as well. The Rangers saw all four lines make an impact on Tuesday night.
Looking ahead to the Rangers’ next game against the Florida Panthers
Next up on the docket for the Blueshirts is the NHL’s reigning champion Florida Panthers. The Rangers were eliminated from the 2024 postseason by the Panthers. This should be an intense contest as the Rangers aim to get some sweet revenge against the league’s champions at home on Thursday night.
