The New York Rangers flipped the script against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night as they came away with a 6-1 victory.
During their opening-night game, the Rangers were booed off the ice after a lackluster performance against this very same Penguins team.
On Saturday, the Rangers brought a totally new energy to Pittsburgh.
This game was also personal for Mike Sullivan, who was making his first return to Pittsburgh after coaching the Penguins for 10 years.
The Penguins honored Mike Sullivan with a tribute video and a standing ovation, which he admitted was overwhelmingly emotional.
“It’s emotional, It means a lot,” Sullivan said. “I’m grateful for everything that we accomplished here during my time. I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach here in Pittsburgh for 10 years, and I’m so grateful to the group of players who performed the way they did and allowed us to have that success that we had. When you watch a tribute like that, which I was very appreciative of the Penguins, it brings back a flood of emotions.”
Despite an up-and-down first period, Mika Zibanejad capitalized on a shorthanded opportunity for a goal, and the Rangers led 1-0 after 20 minutes.
The penalty kill was a strong point for the Rangers, as they successfully killed off four power plays.
In the second period, the Rangers took full control of the contest.
It was the Rangers’ special teams play that stood out. The Blueshirts scored two power-play goals in the middle frame, one from Will Cuylle and another from Adam Fox, who found the back of the net twice on the night.
“I think the PK (penalty kill) was really good,” Fox said. “We didn’t give up too many Grade A chances. The power play started off slow, but once our unit simplified, we just tried to get shoot and recover. Sometimes on power play, it is puck luck too, just shoot a puck at the net.”
New York’s fourth line of Adam Edström, Sam Carrick, and Matt Rempe were all over the ice and arguably the team’s most productive line.
On top of Rempe’s goal in the third period, the fourth line generated multiple high-quality scoring chances and spent a vast majority of their time in the offensive zone.
Vincent Trocheck Expected To Miss Time With Injury, Resulting In Major Changes To Rangers’ Lineup
Vincent Trocheck is expected to miss some time for the New York Rangers.
This is a trio that was exciting to watch last year and continue to show how impactful they could be.
“I thought they (fourth line) were awesome tonight,” Adam Fox said. “They made a big difference to turn the tide for us.”
Noah Laba also had his most impressive performance of his young NHL career.
The 22-year-old forward played a hard-nosed game, which helped translate to offense. He continues to prove his worth at the highest level of competition.
His play ultimately led to the stat sheet as Laba recorded two assists, his first NHL points.
“I think Laba is getting better with every game that he plays,” said Sullivan. “Obviously, his size, his speed, his shooting ability, his strength, on the goal we scored in the second period was a great example of it.”
The Rangers will be back in action on Sunday night against the Washington Capitals.
