Oilers Order A McDavid Power Play Goal, Top Rangers 2-1

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Newsday

After a strong win over San Jose, the Rangers welcomed the Edmonton Oilers to Madison Square Garden for an afternoon matinee. Unfortunately, for New York, the Oilers got goals from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid took down the Blueshirts 2-1, knocking the Rangers to 1-4-0. A fast paced game filled with a lot of action, and a ton of missed chances on both sides. Here’s our recap.

Rangers Controlled The Tempo – Although the Rangers came out on the short end of the stick, the team held Connor McDavid and his Oilers to two goals. McDavid was all over the ice, making a strong statement on many shifts to nab goals for his team. Outside of the two that went in, the Rangers defensive system held off many Oilers attacks that many would think would’ve been too much for the Rangers defense. The team itself looked cohesive as one unit and did not look out of place in their own zone.

Finish, Finish, Finish, and I’m not talking about the country – Outside of the initial Mika Zibanejad goal, the Rangers could not capitalize on the numerous chances they threw on net. Filip Chytil missed an open net early in the game, along with a Jesper Fast open net chance in the third that would’ve tied the game. This team needs a finisher, plain and simple. On the other side, the Oilers had their finisher nab them the win, with Connor McDavid netting the late PP goal that would prove to be the winner for the Oilers.

Freddy Claesson and Adam McQuaid – The tale of two different defensemen was on display yesterday as both took the ice for the matinee. Freddy Claesson looked strong on his skates and incredibly agile in his second game of action for New York. On the contrary, Adam McQuaid looked out of place and was a -1 on the tally by Nugent-Hopkins. Tony DeAngelo and Neal Pionk were the healthy scratches for the afternoon on defense. One of the two may be in action for one of the aforementioned Claesson or McQuaid, so it’ll be interesting to see how David Quinn manages this dynamic.

Missed Calls? You Be The Judge – In what always feels like a con job to many fans, the Rangers were hurt greatly by the penalties yesterday afternoon, as well as ones that were not called. Before Vlad Namestnikov was called for holding at 5:11 of the 3rd period, Mika Zibanejad was taken down and pushed in a motion that resembled a holding call. The referees did not take notice and let play resume, which ultimately led to the penalty by New York. Connor McDavid netted the PPG on that proceeding power play, leaving many Rangers fans in fumes at MSG and in their homes.

Believe It Or Not, This Was A Goalie Battle – Former teammates Henrik Lundqvist and Cameron Talbot went at it, both looking stellar in net for their respective teams. Lundqvist looked like the Lundqvist of old, stopping 25 out of the 27 Edmonton shots. His counterpart, Cam Talbot was equally as strong. Stopping 23 out of 24 shots, Talbot matched his former mentor tit for tat, as his boys in blue and orange came out victorious.

Next Game: The Rangers will look to bounce back on Tuesday night when they host the Avalanche. Puck drops at 7!

LETS GO RANGERS!!

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