Kaapo Kakko, Igor Shesterkin lead Rangers over Kings in finale of homestand
Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers makes a save during the second period against the Kings at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The playoffs remain an extreme long shot, of course, but on Sunday night, the future of the Rangers was front and center at Madison Square Garden. And the future looks bright.
Kaapo Kakko’s first goal in 14 games turned out to be the winner and Igor Shesterkin again was brilliant, making 42 saves to lead the Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings that provided a happy ending to a four-game homestand.
“That’s the kind of team that’s been giving us fits,’’ said Chris Kreider, who seemed a much happier person than he was after Friday’s 3-2 loss to Buffalo. “They play a ‘heavy’ game, they’ve always got five guys back . . . but I thought tonight we used our speed defensively . . . Guys were blocking shots . . . It might not be the prettiest, but that’s what we got to do in a game like that.’’
Kakko’s goal, his eighth of the season, came off a pass from behind the goal line by Filip Chytil and gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead at 9:20 of the third period.
Trevor Moore scored for the Kings at 10:47, but Artemi Panarin’s first goal in his last five games, on a rebound of a shot by Ryan Strome, made it 3-1 at 17:12 of the third. It was his 28th.
Tony DeAngelo added a 150-foot empty-net goal at 17:49.
Shesterkin, the rookie from Russia who was first recalled from AHL Hartford on Jan. 6, improved to 5-1 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
He clearly has been the best of the three goaltenders on the roster since he arrived, and with the Rangers (27-23-4) nine points out of a playoff spot with 28 games remaining, coach David Quinn seems ready to ride him as the No. 1 goaltender moving forward.
“The best guy is going to continue to play,’’ Quinn said. “Keeping people sharp is no longer a high priority of ours. It’s going to be winning hockey games, and the guy who plays well is going to keep playing.’’
The Rangers now face games at Winnipeg on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday and Columbus on Friday before returning home for Sunday’s game against Boston.
The Rangers had the advantage of playing most of the game with a lead after fourth-line center Greg McKegg scored his second goal in three games at 2:23 of the first period.
Kings goalie Jonathan Quick went behind the net to play the puck, but a weird bounce off the boards trapped him out of position. The puck came to Brett Howden, who passed to McKegg for the goal.
The Rangers made it 2-0 when Chytil sent a pass from behind the left goalpost to the slot to an unchecked Kakko. “It feels so good, after such a long time,’’ he said. “It’s always a good feeling to score a goal.’’
For weeks, Kakko — along with Chytil and either Howden or Brendan Lemieux — had been playing well on the third line but had little to show for it in terms of goals and points.
Kakko was asked if he believes getting this one goal could lead to more. “Yeah, hopefully many more goals are coming,’’ he said.
“I just like the fact he’s going to the net,’’ Quinn said of the 18-year-old, who was the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. “The assist he got [Friday] night, he was around the net, [and] he’s been around and net more. He gets a goal [Sunday] being at the net. He’s just playing with more pace and more confidence. He’s been much better defensively the last few games. He’s played well.’’
Notes & quotes: D Brady Skjei played in his 300th NHL game, all with the Rangers . . . F Phillip DiGuiseppe had his first assist as a Ranger and a game-high six hits.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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