Rangers clinch playoff berth thanks to Shesterkin, Kreider
Goalie's outstanding play, forward's goal-scoring among reasons New York is in postseason
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Igor Shesterkin has led the way for New York. The goalie arguably is the favorite for the Vezina Trophy, voted to the best goalie in the NHL, and a possible finalist for the Hart Trophy, which is voted to the most valuable player in the NHL.
Shesterkin is 34-10-4 with a 2.07 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and four shutouts in 48 games. He leads the NHL in save percentage and is tied with for first in GAA with Frederik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes (minimum 10 games played).
Chris Kreider has paced the offense with an NHL career-high 49 goals, including an NHL-best and Rangers single-season record 25 power-play goals.
The 30-year-old left wing is third in the NHL in goals and needs five to tie Jaromir Jagr's Rangers record for most goals in a single season (54).
Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers with 88 points (21 goals, 67 assists) in 68 games. The right wing is on pace for 99 points; his NHL best is 95 (32 goals, 63 assists) in 69 games in 2019-20.
Mika Zibanejad has scored 74 points (27 goals, 46 assists) in 73 games, putting the center on pace for a career-high 83. His NHL best is 75 points (41 goals, 34 assists) in 57 games in 2019-20.
Zibanejad, Kreider and defensemen Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller have not missed a game.
Adam Fox already has set his NHL career high with 67 points (10 goals, 57 assists) in 70 games. Fox, who won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL last season, is tied for third in scoring among defensemen with Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Rangers made several additions prior to the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline, acquiring forwards Andrew Copp from the Winnipeg Jets, Frank Vatrano from the Florida Panthers and Tyler Motte from the Vancouver Canucks, along with defenseman Justin Braun from the Philadelphia Flyers.
All four have played a key role, with Copp and Vatrano each playing in the top-six forward rotation and on the power play, and Motte playing on the penalty kill.
Here's a look at the Rangers' path to a playoff berth:
Most Valuable Player:Shesterkin is the biggest reason for their success, which is why he's in the conversation for the Hart Trophy and looking like the favorite for the Vezina Trophy. Shesterkin has allowed two goals or fewer in 30 of his 47 starts. He has made 30 or more saves in 18 of those 29 games.
Unsung Hero:Trouba has been the Rangers' most physical defenseman, leading them in hits (194) and blocked shots (156), and he averages 22:29 in ice time per game, second among New York defensemen behind Fox (24:02). Trouba is one of the Rangers' top penalty killers and is a regular on the second power-play unit. He has scored 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) and is plus-21 in 73 games.
Memorable moment:Zibanejad ripped a one-timer off a feed from Panarin for a power-play goal with 16 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Rangers a 2-1 win at the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 19. The Rangers were down 1-0 in the first period, but Trouba tied it at 9:25 of the second. Zibanejad's goal was New York's third go-ahead goal in the final minute of regulation, the most in the NHL this season. The win, at the time the Rangers' 21st comeback win, also finished their three-game season sweep of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, following a 4-3 shootout win Dec. 31 and a 4-0 victory Jan. 2. Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves to set a Rangers record for fastest goalie to 30 wins in a season (41 games). Henrik Lundqvist previously held the record with 30 wins in 46 games in 2014-15.
Key Number:26. The Rangers lead the NHL with 26 comeback wins, meaning they have won 25 games in which they have trailed by at least one goal. They have scored three or more goals in the third period in seven games this season. Their 87 goals in the third period are tied with the Edmonton Oilers for seventh-most in the NHL. Their 54 goals-against in the third are the second-fewest, behind the Hurricanes (53).
Question Mark: Falling behind in games. The Rangers have shown a lot of resiliency and maturity for how they have handled themselves when they fall behind in games; it shows in their 25 comeback wins. However, they can't bank on coming back in playoff games the way they have in the regular season. They're going to have to start better than they have and rely less on having to always win the third period. They have a plus-three goal differential in the first two periods (130-127) but are plus-33 in the third period.
Reason Rangers Can Win It All:Shesterkin is good enough to carry New York on a long run. The Rangers also have been able to count on their power play, which is second in the NHL at 26.4 percent. When healthy, their top unit of Kreider, Panarin, Zibanejad, Fox and forward Ryan Strome is among the best in the NHL. Their comeback ability helps too. The Rangers have lost more than two games in a row once all season, losing three straight (0-1-2) from Nov. 2-6.
