Rangers shutout Flyers as Georgiev shines again
The Rangers completed a comeback on Friday night against a much better St. Louis Blues team that is in the thick of the playoff hunt. Today, the Blueshirts didn’t need such heroics as Alexandar Georgiev stood tall, denying all 29 Flyers shots en route to a 3-0 Rangers victory.
Pavel Buchnevich – It was a milestone day for the young Russian, who got the Rangers on the board in the first period. Buchnevich was reunited with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider to re-form the fan favorite KZB line. Kreider got the play started by hitting Zibanejad with a pass as the Swede was cutting to the net. Zibanejad threw the puck to the front of the net where it redirected off the stick of goalie Carter Hart and right to Buchnevich. Buchnevich calmly and patiently deposited the puck into the open net for his 20th goal of the year, and the 100th point of his NHL career.
Buchnevich has had a solid year as he looks to prove the kind of offensive talent he can be. Buchnevich will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, so he’s playing for his next contract as we enter the final week of the season.
Ryan Strome – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Jeff Gorton got the steal of the year when he acquired Ryan Strome from Edmonton. While Spooner was traded to the Canucks after underperforming in Edmonton, Strome has stepped up his game and become a positive veteran presence on this team. Strome scored his 18th of the year with just two seconds remaining in the first period, taking the feed from Brett Howden and firing a laser into the top of the net.
With the Rangers organization continuing to evaluate all of the young talent in their midst, especially the multitude of centers, Strome’s veteran leadership and skill will be important in helping the Rangers getting back on track to win a Stanley Cup.
Brady Skjei – The Rangers defenseman got his seventh goal of the year as he fired a shot from the point that caromed off of two Flyers players before hitting the back of the net.
Skjei is being thought of as one of the organization’s blue-line staples as the rebuild continues. Hopefully, he will continue improving as his role expands with the Rangers.
Alexandar Georgiev – In case you thought Igor Shestyorkin had the starter’s job all sewn up, Alexandar Georgiev thinks otherwise. Georgiev turned in a stellar performance today, stopping all 29 Flyers shots en route to his 13th win of the season. Since giving up the second goal against St. Louis on Friday, Georgiev’s shutout streak is now at 104:58.
Next Game: The Rangers head across the Hudson for their final game of the season with the New Jersey Devils. Puck drops at 7!
LETS GO RANGERS!!
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