Postgame: Lundqvist Leads Rangers to First Shootout Win of the Season

In a game that the Rangers maybe did not deserve to win, their all-star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist kept them in the game and came up huge in overtime and the shootout. The Blueshirts came out with absolutely no energy in the first period and didn't have much in the second either. The third period was a bit of a different story as both teams started taking chances and pouring it one, but both netminders were phenomenal in keeping the opposition at a 1-1 tie which lead to overtime and a shootout.

The Rangers are having a lot of trouble with getting things going in games this season, and by that I mean they do not get their offense jump started until about five minutes into the contest. That was the case today, but in addition to the lack-luster offense, the defense was extremely sloppy in their own zone and were guilty of numerous turnovers. Ottawa had all of the momentum in the first and put Lundqvist to the test quite often, but Hank came up big and the Rangers luckily went into the second scoreless.

Even though the turnovers were limited in the second, the difficulties did not stop for the Rangers as they found themselves shorthanded four times in the period. This did nothing but diminish the Rangers confidence and further destroyed their ability to gain the momentum. Ottawa finally broke through on the scoreboard as Jarkko Ruutu found the trailing Brian Lee in the slot, who wired a snap shot past Henrik Lundqvist to make it 1-1. Lundqvist was screened on the play but at the same time, it is usually one that Lundqvist would save being that it was low. The Rangers were outshot 17-2 in the period.

Anyway, Marian Gaborik made a great play along the boards to pass to himself on the penalty kill and went down ice with Vinny Prospal on a two on one. From here Gaborik worked his magic, slowing the entire play down, handling the puck, and waiting for Prospal to get open when he saucered a pass on the blade of Prospal, who buried the one-timer for his first career shorthanded tally. Gaborik made a beautiful play to feed Prospal and now has registered points in sixteen of eighteen games played this season.

The third period started off slow, but quickly picked up and presented both teams with opportunistic chances, but once again, Lundqvist and Elliot stood on their heads to keep it at a tie game. One that comes to mind is when P.A. Parenteau was standing all alone on the side of the net with Elliot down and out and the puck on his blade, and he shot it over the net. I do not know if anyone can explain how he missed that, but he later would redeem himself.

After Kotalik, Prospal, Alfredsson, and Spezza made the shootout a 2-2 tie, P.A. Parenteau made a remarkable move to bury a high wrister over the shoulder of Elliot to give the Rangers the edge in the seventh round of the shootout. The rest was all Lundqvist, as he made clutch saves in the shootout, but that is something that is expected of him 1 on 1 with shooters. Nonetheless, Hank was the best player on the ice for the Rangers, making 35 saves out of the 36 shots he faced in the tilt.

Sean Avery skated very well in this one, using the body, creating chances, and was an overall positive in the lineup. The same can be said of Chris Higgins who was playing in the center position tonight. Higgins had some great opportunities, hit the post late, but I liked his game as a whole.

P.A. Parenteau had himself a great game and was rewarded with the shootout goal. I also thought Michal Roszival, Matt Gilroy, and Mike Del Zotto displayed a solid performance in Ottawa on defense.

Marc Staal, on the other hand, had a rough outing and coughed up the puck a countless number of times. I must say that Staal came up big on the penalty kill, however, and so did Ryan Callahan and Dan Girardi late in the contest.

The Rangers are now off until Tuesday, when the Washington Capitals will be visiting the Garden for the first time this season. New York may have come out of this one with two points to terminate their two game skid, but they should consider themselves lucky, as their goaltender covered up for all of their mistakes, something that must change down the road.

(Images courtesy of AP Photo)