The New York Rangers have continued to produce elite performances on the ice following a 3–2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The Blueshirts were looking for redemption following their fourth regulation loss of the season, as well as losing Kaapo Kakko due to injury.
In last night’s victory, many players stood out as key factors towards success. One of the Rangers’ most underrated forwards, Jimmy Vesey, can be thanked for handing the Blueshirts their league-leading 16th win of the season.
Vesey netted his 25th career game-winning goal
Throughout his career, Vesey has scored a total of 88 goals across 522 games played. These numbers aren’t incredible, but for a long-time member of multiple teams’ bottom-six, they aren’t bad either.
What sticks out about Vesey’s stats is the amount of game-winning goals he has produced. His tally last night for the Rangers turned out to be the winner, the 25th time he has done so in his career. This in turn means that out of every goal Vesey has scored in his career, 28.4% of them have been game-winning goals.
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Should the Rangers have been given the go-ahead goal?
Vesey’s tally last night was a controversial one, as he had batted the puck out of mid-air. Fans around the league called for a high-sticking call, but the officials determined that the play was legal and the goal was upheld. Even Vesey himself joked about the legality of the play:
“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t want to look at the replay.”
Jimmy Vesey via Vince Mercogliano
Vesey’s contributions to the Rangers
It’s funny to think how Vesey began the season as a healthy scratch heading into game one of the year. Since then, he has easily been the most consistent player in the Rangers’ bottom-six. Not only has he continued to produce points, but his defensive skills are through the roof, and he’s been a consistently clean player with only two penalties taken the entire season.
The Rangers seemed to have gotten very lucky in Vesey’s second stint with the team. He began his career in New York but then played for four other teams before returning to the Blueshirts. There’s no doubt he should remain in the lineup full-time, as he’s been one of the best depth forwards in recent history.
