Rangers Start Rough Five-Game Stretch With 5-3 Win Over Devils

The Rangers kicked off a stretch of five games in eight days Saturday in New Jersey against the Devils. Four of the five contests are on the road and also against Eastern Conference foes. Adding a bit more spice to the mix is that three of the five games come against Metro Division rivals. Following the victory over New Jersey, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Boston are on the docket over the next eight days.

New York improved to 12-2-1 with a 5-3 win over the Devils. During their 10-0-1 streak, while Artemi Panarin has been the one constant, a new hero seemingly stepped up nightly. Yesterday, it was Jimmy Vesey’s turn to wear the cape. Vesey, however, wasn’t alone, as his two linemates were along for the ride, contributing as well.

Vesey potted his first of the game in the first period, cleaning up a rebound off a Braden Schneider shot to beat Vitek Vanecek. Barclay Goodrow and Tyler Pitlick were on the ice with Vesey for the goal and that trio drove play better than all but the Panarin line last night. His second of the game, which proved to be the game-winner, came after a Panarin snipe slightly more than halfway through the period. A beautiful passing sequence resulted in the initial shot. Once again, Vesey was in the right place at the right time, this putting a spinning backhand past Vanecek for the decisive score. Vesey was joined by Goodrow and Vincent Trocheck for this tally.

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I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the improvement in Zac Jones. He struggled initially while stepping in for Adam Fox, but he looks to have found his stride with consistent playing time, creating a solid pair with Schneider. Fox skated Saturday for the first time since getting injured and is eligible to return on November 29. Just because he skated does not mean he will be ready to return on that date. The 12-2-1 start and solid play of Jones and Erik Gustafsson affords coach Peter Laviolette and the team the ability to slow play Fox’s return to make sure he is fully healthy. They likely followed a similar course of action with Igor Shesterkin, who was dealing with some soreness, aided by the five-day break, allowing him sufficient time to recover.

The win moves the Blueshirts five points up on the surprising Capitals in the Metro Division. Just 15 games in, the season is only slightly around 19% completely, meaning there is an inordinate amount of playing time remaining. That said, for New York to have dealt with the injuries to date, implementation of a new system, and Western Canada road trip with the record they have, positives abound all around.