Barclay Goodrow, Rangers willing to do whatever it takes to win playoff games
Barclay Goodrow of the Rangers jumps past Damon Severson of the Devils during the first period of Game 1 in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on Tuesday in Newark, N.J. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
NEWARK – Barclay Goodrow gets it. He gets that in the playoffs, you have to do more and sacrifice more because the stakes are higher.
And so, the Rangers forward, who won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning, doesn’t hesitate when he sees an opposing player draw his stick back and wind up to take a slap shot: He’s willing to throw his body in the way and try to block it before it has a chance to get to his goaltender.
“I should probably have a little bit better form,’’ Goodrow said with a little laugh after the Rangers’ well-attended optional practice Wednesday at Prudential Center, where the Rangers prepared for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the rival Devils. “It’s just instincts. You see the puck. You see where the (shooting) lane is, you do your best to just get in that lane.’’
The Rangers blocked 23 shots in their 5-1 victory in Game 1 Tuesday. Goodrow blocked three of them. That's the kind of playoff mentality needed to win in the postseason.
“There's just that little bit of extra desperation and willingness to do something maybe you weren't going to do during the season,’’ defenseman K’Andre Miller said of blocking shots. “It's a cool feeling. It's a cool boost of energy you get on the bench. It brings a lot more togetherness within our team, having guys all the way down the lineup do those little things. I think it's huge for our team, and something for us to rally around and build off.’’
In blocking so many shots, the Rangers allowed 28 to get to goalie Igor Shesterkin, including the penalty shot on which Jack Hughes scored the Devils’ only goal. On four Devils’ power plays, the Rangers allowed no shots on goal while killing all four penalties.
The penalty kill snuffed the two power plays the Devils had early in the first period, and that helped generate momentum for the Rangers at five-on-five, players said.
“Our PK was really good (Tuesday) night,’’ Miller said. “We did some really good things. (We) shut down their key guys on the power play and limited their space and their time as much as we could. And so I think if we can stay on top of them and keep doing that, I think they're going to have a hard time.’’
Vincent Trocheck, who is one of the penalty-killing forwards, happened to take the first penalty of the game, a tripping call at 1:15 of the first period. He was asked why killing a penalty can sometimes generate momentum for a team.
“A lot of the time whenever you're on the kill, it’s just like a sense of accomplishment,’’ he said. “Killing off the penalty, it helped the team. You didn't give up a goal against some of the best players in the world. It makes you feel a little bit better about yourself… Special teams are always kind of momentum-shifters.’’
Notes & quotes: Adam Fox's four assists in Game 1 gave him 20 career playoff assists in 24 games, making him the quickest Rangers defenseman to reach the mark. Brian Leetch had 20 in his first 26 playoff games. Fox (1.13 points per playoff game) is one of five defensemen in NHL history to have 1-plus points-per-game with 24 or more playoff games under their belt. The others: Bobby Orr, Cale Makar, Paul Coffey and Leetch . . . All the lineup regulars took part in the optional practice except forwards Mika Zibanejad and Tyler Motte.
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.
