Monzo Minor: Rangers Gone Streaking -- Again!
By Brian Monzo
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It's been tough to look at a blinking cursor, struggling to come up with something to write, mainly because I feel like I have to re-word the same thing every week.
But the 27-9-4 Rangers (good for tops in the league) continue to roll, now in the midst of another winning streak. After beating the Coyotes last night at MSG in a shootout, the Rangers' five-game winning streak is their fourth streak of five wins or more, with seven wins in a row being their high.
Last night they battled and battled the relentlessly pesky Coyotes, along with their goalie Mike Smith, who perhaps made the save of the season in overtime on a Marian Gaborik penalty shot, and found a way to come away with a 2-1 shootout win.
It seems like every night there is a different player stepping up. The scoring is spread out. In fact, the Rangers do not have a player in the top 30 in the NHL in scoring.
Ruslan Fedotenko, playing on the Rangers' best line of the night with Brian Boyle and Carl Hagelin, was able to notch his sixth goal of the season, beating Smith on a night where it seemed he would not be beaten.
Every night Henrik Lundqvist sticks out and is now playing to a goals against average of a ridiculously low 1.85. His confidence level is as high as it has been thus far in his brilliant career, and he is making every save seem easy.
If it's not Gaborik scoring for the Blueshirts, it's Derek Stepan, or Ryan Callahan or a defenseman like Michael Del Zotto.
It's always easier -- and sometimes more fun -- to come on here and write about how poorly they are playing. Let's face it, there is a shot the they go on some tough six-game losing streak, but it's gotten to the point where I come on here and do my impression of the Rangers. They repeat themselves by winning and winning and winning and winning which forces me to repeat myself over and over.
The Rangers now are expect the surging Ottawa Senators tomorrow night at the Garden. The key to beating the Senators is stopping two players: Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson. Michalek has turned himself into a premier NHL scorer and the young stud defenseman Karlsson is the NHL's best playmaking defenseman. If the Rangers stick to their game, which is outworking their opponents, they could be eying another two points.
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Is there one player most responsible for the Rangers' success? Make your case in the comments below...
