Rangers goalie hopeful Marek Mazanec gets chance in preseason game
Rangers goaltender Marek Mazanec deflects the puck during the third period against the Devils on Sept. 17, 2018, in Newark, N.J. Credit: AP/Bill Kostroun
NEWARK — Henrik Lundqvist will get whatever work he needs in this six-game preseason in order to be ready to go when the Rangers’ season opens up Oct. 4. But with just those six games to work with, and with seven goaltenders on the training camp roster, there isn’t a lot of time for the guys who are vying to be Lundqvist’s backup to make an impression.
“Well, it’s not, but if you get one chance, you’ve got to take it,’’ one of those hopefuls, Marek Mazanec, said Monday before the Rangers played the first of those preseason games, a 4-3 overtime victory over the Devils at Prudential Center. “If not, there might not be another one.’’
Mazanec, 27, who split last season between Slovan Bratislava of the KHL and the Rangers’ Hartford farm team in the AHL, came off the bench to play 24:32 in Monday’s game, stopping eight of nine shots and getting the win. Alexandar Georgiev, who played 10 games with the Rangers while then-backup Ondrej Pavelec was out with a knee injury, started and played 36:48, stopping 16 of 18 shots.
“He played well,’’ coach David Quinn said of Georgiev. “He had some big saves. Three penalties in the first period, all of a sudden, they’re getting chances, and [the Devils] had some of their horses in the lineup tonight and he stood tall.’’
With Lundqvist likely getting upward of 60 games this season, the question has been asked whether Georgiev, 22, would be better served being a backup and playing sparingly, or going to Hartford and playing the bulk of games there.
“I’m not making these kinds of decisions,’’ Georgiev said. “I’m just trying to play my game, and it’s up to the coaches and general managers to decide who is playing where.’’
Notes & quotes: Neal Pionk scored the game-winner against Devils goalie Cam Johnson at 2:20 of the extra period in the 3-on-3 overtime . . . Lias Andersson scored two goals for the Rangers — one shorthanded and one on the power play — and played an energetic game after having chatted with Quinn in the morning about relaxing and playing his game. Pavel Buchnevich scored a power-play goal. The Devils got two goals from Nick Lappin and one from John Quenneville . . . Rangers were 2-for-6 on the power play, the Devils were 2-for-7. “Too many penalties,’’ Quinn said . . . Rangers forward Boo Nieves left the game midway through the third period after taking a heavy hit from Devils defenseman Eric Gryba. No penalty was given on the play, and the Rangers did not have an update on his status after the game. As for what he thought of the hit, Quinn said the league will determine whether it was clean or dirty.
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.
