Rangers top red-hot Kings for much needed bounce-back win
A scrappy win was just what the doctor ordered for a Rangers team that had fallen into a bit of a funk.
It was far from dominant and far from perfect, but a 4-1 victory over the Kings on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden got the Blueshirts back in the win column all the same after the club suffered its first two consecutive losses of the season this past week.
The Kings, who had won eight of their last 10 entering Sundays contest, suffered just their second road loss of the season and their first in regulation.
I think the last few games had kind of been leaning toward a wake-up call, there were some negative things creeping into our game, said Vincent Trocheck, who led the Rangers with three primary assists in yet another impactful performance. We all knew it and we recognized it. I think thats the biggest thing is just making sure that you can spot it whenever its coming and get to it quickly. I thought we had a really good bounce-back game tonight against a really good hockey team.
As much as this was a much-needed team win, the Rangers wanted it more for goalie Jonathan Quick.
3Jimmy Vesey (L.) celebrates after scoring during the Rangers’ win over the Kings on Dec. 10, 2023. Robert Sabo for NY PostQuick earned the win in his first game against his former team of 16 years, collecting 25 saves to improve to 8-0-1 on the season.
The Kings are not only one of the hottest teams in the NHL, but they have been one of the best five-on-five clubs this season.
Quick may not have been tested too much, but the 37-year-old netminder came up with the key saves and scrambling stops when the Rangers needed them.
When things got chippy, Quick did not shy away from the fracas with some of his former teammates.
He was right in there throwing punches of his own. The Rangers in front of him followed suit.
3Jonathan Quick makes a save during the Rangers’ win over the Kings on Dec. 10, 2023. Robert Sabo for NY PostI think players are aware and they recognize when a player has had a career like that in one city and success and then hes facing his team for the first time, head coach Peter Laviolette said. I think they certainly realize that. I do think its a combination of realization of the way we played Saturday night, the opponent today, what that meant to Jonathan. It was a good opponent for today.
Tensions rose quickly before they exploded in the third period.
Eleven total penalties were handed out, but the Rangers didnt get too caught up in the hoopla.
Not even when Phillip Danault scored a power-play goal at the 6:37 mark of the third period to cut the Rangers lead 2-1.
Instead, the Rangers answered with a man-advantage tally of their own, when Jonny Brodzinski cut to the middle of the ice and blasted a feed from Trocheck into the top corner of Los Angeles net.
Trocheck then sent a backhanded feed to Will Cuylle, who scored his fifth goal of the season to give the Rangers a three-goal lead toward the end of the final frame.
3The Rangers celebrate during their win over the Kings on Dec. 10, 2023. Robert Sabo for NY PostHow awesome is that? Laviolette asked rhetorically of the bottom-six contributions, including Jimmy Veseys 2-0 score in the second period after Nick Bonino leapt at the blue line to keep the puck in. Obviously, theres a few people out of the lineup and you need other people to step up. You cant always look to the same guy, we need everybody to chip in and produce.
With both teams playing on the second night of a back-to-back schedule, the Rangers energy built as the game progressed.
They finally ended their scoreless streak at 122:52 on a power-play goal from Mika Zibanejad in the second period.
The Rangers bled odd-man rushes for several games, but they tightened up against the Kings and didnt have to defend the rush too much.
It was good, Laviolette said. We needed to reel that back in a little bit.
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