New York Rangers week ahead includes quest for season sweep of Red Wings
It’s a quiet week for the New York Rangers, with only two games on the schedule.
Igor Shesterkin can use the three days of rest between a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday and a visit from the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday; the 28 year-old goalie was under fire for most of last week despite winning two of three games. He faced 46, 41 and 37 shots in his three starts, losing 5-3 at Washington on Tuesday before defeating the Ottawa Senators 2-1 at Madison Square Garden on Friday and getting the win against the Isles on Sunday afternoon.
The Rangers enter the new week leading the Metropolitan Division with 17 points (8-2-1), one more than the Carolina Hurricanes, who have played one fewer game. Their plus-20 goal differential is the best in the Eastern Conference and second in the NHL behind the Winnipeg Jets (plus-29).
New York scored at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded in the same game on Sunday for the first time since March 26 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Adam Edstrom’s third-period goal Sunday made him the 16th different goal-scorer for the Rangers this season.
Who’s hot
Shesterkin was beyond fantastic last week; his play was the only reason the Rangers won two of their three games. He allowed seven goals on 124 shots (.944 save percentage), kept the Rangers competitive in the loss at Washington, stole the Rangers a win against Ottawa and allowed two goals on 37 shots against the Islanders. His price tag on a new contract keeps getting higher.
Artemi Panarin continues to put up points. He scored the first goal in the win against the Senators and had two more against the Islanders, giving him the team lead in goals (9), assists (9) and points (18). Panarin already has three multi-goal games, and his next point will be the 800th of his NHL career.
Vincent Trocheck had a week that might not have been terrific but saw him reach a milestone; his goal Sunday was the 200th of his NHL career.
Who’s not
K’Andre Miller has spent most of the season on the top defense pairing with Adam Fox, though his struggles last week saw him replaced by Ryan Lindgren, Fox’s longtime partner. Despite averaging an NHL career-high 22:43 of ice time this season, Miller has managed just two points (one goal, one assist) in 11 games. He is scoreless and minus-2 since getting his lone assist of the season on Oct. 19.
Related: Jimmy Vesey ‘complemented’ 4th line in return to Rangers lineup
Rangers lookahead this week includes …
A two-game week comes after a three-day break in the schedule. The Rangers play the Detroit Red Wings for the third (and final) time in their first 13 games this season.
Buffalo Sabres at Rangers (Nov. 7, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)
Buffalo comes into its only appearance at the Garden looking much better on paper than in the standings (4-7-1 after losing to the Islanders and Red Wings on a back-to-back this past weekend). The Sabres’ special teams have been a nightmare: Buffalo enters the week 31st on the power play at 8.6 percent (3-for-31, with two shorthanded goals allowed) and 27th on the penalty kill (71.8 percent; 11-for-39).
The Sabres have talented young players like Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson, but they are still trying to put the pieces together as they work to end the longest non-playoff streak in NHL history; Buffalo hasn’t qualified for the postseason since 2011. The Rangers are 7-1-1 against the Sabres in their last nine visits to MSG.
Rangers at Detroit Red Wings (Nov. 9, 7 p.m. ET; MSG)
New York outscored Detroit 9-3 in sweeping a home-and-home set against the Red Wings in mid-October, including a 5-2 win at Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 17. The Red Wings enter the week 5-5-1 and are trying to end a long playoff drought of their own; their last trip to the postseason came in 2016. The Rangers have won five in a row against the Red Wings and are 8-1-1 in their past 10 meetings. Shesterkin has never lost to the Red Wings in regulation; he is 5-0-1 with a 1.48 goals-against average, a .948 save percentage and one shutout in six games.
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