Rangers' Jacob Trouba, Igor Shesterkin help prevent 5-on-3 goal
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, top, celebrates with teammates after their 7-3 win against the Minnesota Wild in an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Credit: AP/Abbie Parr
A three-goal lead was down to two when the Rangers suddenly found themselves down two men for a minute, 22 seconds in the second period of Thursday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center.
But with captain Jacob Trouba playing the entire sequence, the Rangers killed the two-man disadvantage, scored shortly after it was over and went on to win the game, 7-3.
“It's a turning point for sure,’’ defenseman Adam Fox said of the five-on-three. “I mean, if they score, they make it 3-2, and they still have a power play.’’
But goalie Igor Shesterkin foiled the Wild on the entire penalty kill, and about five minutes later, at 16:54 of the period, Filip Chytil banged in the rebound of a shot by Fox to make it 4-1 and the Rangers never looked back.
Lindgren returns home
It seems as if Ryan Lindgren has been on the Rangers for a long time now, but the rugged 24-year-old defenseman played for only the third time in his NHL career in his home state of Minnesota when the Rangers visited the Wild on Thursday for their second game of the season.
And Lindgren said it is still a great experience for him to return to Minnesota to play in an NHL game.
“Obviously, a lot of friends and family friends are coming tonight,’’ Lindgren said at the Rangers’ morning skate at the Xcel Center. “So I always want to play in front of them.’’
Blue notes
Ryan Reaves had the first fight of the season for the Rangers, taking on Minnesota’s Marcus Foligno at 13:17 of the third. Reaves landed more punches and seemed to have the upper hand… Forward Sammy Blais, who did not play in Tuesday’s season-opening 3-1 win over Tampa Bay due to an upper-body injury sustained in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Islanders, was one of 11 players who took part in the optional morning skate. Blais was not in the lineup Thursday, but Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said the 6-2, 206-pounder was “closer’’ to returning to action, and could “possibly’’ return for Friday’s game in Winnipeg… Dryden Hunt, a healthy scratch Tuesday, made his season debut, entering the lineup to replace Vitali Kravtsov, who did not make the trip to Minnesota and Winnipeg because of an upper body injury suffered in the season-opener… Gallant said it was likely that goaltenders Igor Shesterkin and Jaroslav Halak would split the back-to-back games on the trip. Shesterkin, who earned the win Tuesday, started Thursday, meaning Halak is likely to make his Rangers debut Friday in Winnipeg.
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.
