It is a sign that things are going good when your red-hot rookie scores for the fifth consecutive game, his second straight match with the winning goal, and he is not even the biggest star of the show. Not even the biggest rookie star of the show.
And right now, things are going good for the Rangers.
Beginning a stretch of three division games in four days, the Rangers came roaring from the gate and stormed their way to a 5-0 thumping of the Islanders at a rocking Madison Square Garden. The win was the Rangers' first shutout and largest margin of victory this season, and it moved them into a first-place tie atop the Metropolitan Division.
Alexandar Georgiev stopped all 29 shots he saw for his first career shutout, and what made it extra special for the 22-year-old rookie was that his parents were watching from the stands amid a Garden crowd that in the final minutes was chanting their son's name.
"It couldn't be better. Great time to get a shutout," Georgiev said after the game, having traded his goalmask for the Broadway Hat. "Great win for the boys against our rival team. Very happy and thankful for the team the way they played defense today.
Georgiev Earns First NHL Shutout in 5-0 Win Over Islanders
© Carly Boyle