N.Y. Rangers: Blueshirts Pick Up Against Boston Where Long Islanders Leave Off

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

FEW AND DISTANCED FANS RETURN TO 

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

FRIDAY

Bruins  2

Rangers 6

FINAL

Third Time Is A Charm; Blueshirts Defeat Division Leading Bruins

Brad Marchant, very early in the first period, tried setting the tone for the rest of the evening, pinning Adam Fox in the corner, even dropping his gloves.  But Fox refused to oblige, and Marchant ponderously escaped without a penalty.  Marchant was nonetheless successful, as the shorthanded Rangers on this night decided they weren't having any of it, and so the tone indeed was set.  Big hits, obligatory crosschecks, scrums, and bad words abounded.  

In their first meeting against the Bruins, the Rangers were plus-eight in hits but a woeful minus-16 in face-offs and minus-three in shots on goal en route to a 3-2 loss.  Then despite a tighter 1-0 defeat in the second meeting, Boston was in clear command, outhitting the Rangers 31-22, going plus-five on faceoffs, and a plus-nine on shots on goal.  Through the first two games, each team went scoreless on the power play.  Boston was scoreless in eight opportunities, and the Ranger came empty in six chances. 

On Friday, the correlation between winning face-offs, possession, drawing penalties, and shots on goal works in the Rangers' favor for a change.  The Blueshirts were plus-four in hits, plus-one in face-offs, and plus-one in shots on goal.  In the second period, Colin Blackwell scored the first power-play goal of the series by either team, while Boston was once again held to 0/3 on the man-advantage.

At 13:16, Julien Gauthier opened the scoring assisted by Ryan Lindgren, who clashed with David Pastrnak during the game.  Ryan Strome opened the second period scoring on a beautiful feed from Alexis Lafreniere at 2:32, but Patrice Bergeron scored just 1:30 later.  Afterwhich the roof caved in on Boston.  The Rangers scored twice in the closing two minutes of the second period on a power-play goal from Colin Blackwell, then just twelve seconds later on Chris Kreider's ninth of the season assisted by Strome.  Picking up where they left off, the Rangers strike quickly in the third on Pavel Bushnevich's fifth of the season at 1:45, and Jonny Brodzinski's first goal of the season and only the sixth of his career at the 3:43 mark.  Brad Marchant added an inconsequential goal at 7:51 to cap off the night's scoring.

I'm pleased to see Brendan Lemieux's minutes were increased.  He mustered three shots on goal and, late in the third, got stuffed on a good drive to the net.  Alexis Lafreniere registers just his second point of the season.  Chris Kreider now has five goals in his last three games and a team-leading nine for the season.  Rangers' centermen generated 13 (38%) shots on goal with four goals and two assists for six points.  However, Bret Howden has just one point in his last 13 games and only two for the season.  With three more points against the Bruins, Ryan Strome unexpectedly leads Rangers centers this season with 13 points.

This is the second straight night the Bruins have gotten their doors blown off.  Thursday, on the front end of back-to-back nights, the Long Islanders drubbed the Bruins by a 7-2 final at Uniondale.  The Islanders centermen joined for 14 shots on goal with two goals and three assists for five points.  

The Rangers and Bruins resume hostilities again on Sunday.