Nash shows flash in return to lineup
DALLAS — Maybe Rick Nash didn’t quite have his legs in his first game back after missing four straight with a groin injury. But he surely had his savvy.
The Rangers’ winger scored what proved to be the game-winning goal to secure a 2-0 victory over the Stars on Thursday night at American Airlines Center. The short-handed goal came as Nash forced a ghastly turnover from Dallas captain Jamie Benn, then flew up the ice and beat sharp goalie Antti Niemi with a quick shot over the glove.
The intercepted pass came by way of assistant coach Jeff Beukeboom seeing the Stars try that drop pass at the blue line all night, and then Nash noticed how Niemi overplayed the deke when Chris Kreider had a thwarted breakaway early in second period, so he went for the fast release.
“Sometimes you have to cheat a little bit on the offensive side, and this time it worked out,” said Nash, now with 12 goals. “I didn’t feel like I was very fast. I don’t know how it looked on the replay. After missing four games, you lose a step. I’m going to try to find that.”
Nash was hurt without any contact during a Dec. 6 game against the Islanders at Barclays Center. Although he tried to be diplomatic, he was also truthful about the much-maligned Brooklyn ice surface.
“I haven’t had groin problems in a long time. Ice was really soft there, I don’t know if that could have been an issue. Not to blame anything,” Nash said. “I took two hard strides and I just felt my groin go out.”
Captain Ryan McDonagh returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss to the Blackhawks at home with flu symptoms.
He played a game-high 24:50, with three shots on goal in six attempts.
“Felt good,” McDonagh said. “Happy with my energy level.”
Defenseman Brady Skjei played with a full clear shield to protect his face that was cut deeply by the skate blade of teammate Kevin Hayes during Tuesday’s game. Skjei lost two bottom teeth and got 19 stitches — 14 on the outside and five on the inside.
His left-jaw area was still swollen, and his teammates have likened his look to that of Quagmire, from the television show “Family Guy.”