Spurred on by the indignity of Thursday’s 4-0 season opening defeat to the Islanders, the Rangers poured heart and soul to seal a 5-0 win against the Isles on Saturday.
The Rangers played fast and furious in game two of the 2020-21 schedule, outshooting their rivals 32-23. Alternate captain Mika Zibanejad set the tone early with a high-motor effort to steal the puck away from Noah Dobson and dish off the assist on Pavel Buchnevich’s game-opening goal at 2:12 of the first period.
Having shaken off the rust and sloppiness of game one, the Blueshirts’ execution was on point. Brendan Smith delivered a pinpoint outlet pass that sent Artemi Panarin on a breakaway to double the Rangers’ advantage.
As the horn signaled the first intermission and the Rangers made their way to the dressing room, it was clear that the hosts were prepared to give a full 60-minute effort. This was a different team with a different mentality. The Blueshirts hounded the puck and were unyielding in their own end. Whoever showed up for the season opener were imposters dressed in blue, red, and white.
Buchnevich snapped a laser-guided wrist shot off the post and in to extend the Rangers’ advantage to 3-0 at 5:57 of the second period. Kaapo Kakko slammed home a one-timer to increase the lead to 4-0 before the second intermission break.
Although the Blueshirts left the ice with an unassailable lead with 20 minutes left to play, they didn’t take their foot off the gas in the third period. They hogged the puck and dominated offensive zone time. Led by the stalwart defensive efforts of Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox, the Rangers gave the Isles’ top liners scant space to operate.
Panarin would add his second goal of the night by cashing a power play rebound to put a bow on the spirited 5-0 victory. This was a total reversal for the $11.6 million man, who went nearly silent in the season opener. The perennial Hart Trophy candidate played like the 95-point man of last season.
Alexandar Georgiev played a sound game in net, saving all 23 Islander shots to record a shutout – but that was made possible by a group of blue liners who were prepared to play with structure and purpose. It was a totally opposite mindset compared to the scatterbrained puck management and porous defending that allowed the Isles to hang four goals on Igor Shesterkin in Thursday’s curtain-raiser.
The Rangers now have a blueprint to draw from when they host their cross-Hudson foes in the Devils on Tuesday. Game one was a forgettable mess. As a down on his luck George Costanza learned in season five of Seinfeld, doing “the opposite” can net great rewards. If the Rangers vow to do the opposite of their game one catastrophe from here forward, they’ll be a difficult outfit to beat.
Follow Sean Hartnett on Twitter: @HartnettHockey
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