Rangers building momentum in push toward playoffs
NEW YORK >> Another test passed with flying colors for the New York Rangers.
In the midst of their toughest stretch of the regular season schedule to date, the Blueshirts finally extracted their revenge on the Florida Panthers, using the shootout to score a 4-3 victory in a nationally televised showdown between two of the Eastern Conference’s top clubs at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
The win propelled the Rangers to second overall in the league standings, behind only the Vancouver Canucks, who they could certainly see again in June on the 30th anniversary of their first
Stanley Cup Final meeting.
For now, however, they’ll take some continued momentum as they get prepared for the stretch drive into the playoffs.
“It’s always nice to get that extra point in the shootout, it certainly makes you feel better about the day, even though it comes down to breakaways,” said Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette.
As was the case when facing the Boston Bruins, another team with similar aspirations, on the road on Thursday, their best players were their best players; Adam Fox opened the scoring for the Rangers, and then Artemi Panarin scored twice, including the late game-tying goal with just 3:25 left in regulation to send it to overtime and then the shootout.
“That third goal was the response we needed,” Laviolette said. “We’re running out of time, there’s not much left on the clock at that point… (Panarin) had another monster game. He’s so dangerous, he’s leaving everything out on the ice. He comes back to the bench and he’s completely gassed, he’s playing his heart out.”
RANGERS PROSPECT SHINES FOR BOSTON COLLEGE
Out for weeks with an undisclosed injury, there was some doubt that Boston College forward Gabe Perreault would be back in time for the championship weekend of the prestigious Hockey East Tournament.
“Back” doesn’t even begin to describe it.
One of the Rangers most prized prospects — he was considered to be one of the steals of the most recent Draft, taken at No. 23 overall — continued his dazzling freshman year with a goal and two assists in his return in an 8-1 obliteration of UMass in Saturday’s
semifinals and two goals and two more assists in the No. 1 Eagles 6-2 win over No. 2 Boston University to secure the Hockey East crown and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Still just 18 years old, Perreault now has 18 goals and 39 assists in just 32 college games and has managed to stand out on a team loaded with future NHL’ers and fellow first-round picks like Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Leonard and Will Smith.
“We’ve been together for so long now, it’s fun having him back on the bench,” Smith said of Perreault, who was not made available postgame on Friday. “Just enjoying it. If you look at our line, we’re always smiling, so it was good having him back.”