Rangers put Cam Talbot in goal, find relief in 4
Howard Simmons/New York Daily NewsThe Rangers react after going down 1-0 early with four straight goals to beat the Wild at MSG.
RANGERS 4, WILD 1
The Rangers' first regulation win in eight games happened in front of backup goalie Cam Talbot on Sunday night, partially because during the most crucial stretch of their 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild at the Garden, Talbot didn't face any shots.
Trailing at the start for a seventh straight game, a more physical and energized Blueshirts group scored four answered goals, including three during a span of 30 minutes and 36 seconds in which they outshot the Wild 24-to-six to take a 3-1 lead into the third period. They received a huge ovation at the end of the second, and the stretch helped them bounce back successfully from Friday's low point, a 5-3 loss to the lowly Islanders.
Benoit Pouliot's second power play goal in two games tied it, 1-1, late in the first period. Resolute speedster Carl Hagelin scored for the 2-1 lead 11:26 into the second, and then Mats Zuccarello buried a one-timer off a pretty swoop and pass from Derick Brassard (two assists), who now has points in three straight games.
Talbot made 24 saves to improve to 7-2-0 this season in his first start since Dec. 2, and Chris Kreider added a blooper-reel goal in the third period off the rush, in which his stick was lifted but his harmless shot still slid slowly through the legs of Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom (32 saves). Minnesota fell to 20-13-5.
The Rangers (17-18-2) will host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night in the second half of this back-to-back to close a nine-game homestand on which they are just 2-4-2. After the NHL's three-day Christmas break, they'll hit the road for a five-city road trip beginning on Thursday night in Washington, D.C., against the Capitals.
Talbot gave Henrik Lundqvist a much-needed night off. The franchise netminder had struggled through eight consecutive starts (2-4-2) since signing his seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension on Dec. 4.
Talbot stayed sharp despite a lack of action through several stretches, allowing only Jason Pominville's dunk in the crease 4:08 into the game. Confusion on a defensive zone faceoff led to Jason Pominville's opening tally 4:08 in, as he beat defenseman John Moore to the crease.
In a pivotal sequence, Talbot did not face a shot for more than nine minutes in the second period until stopping a solid attempt from Wild defenseman Ryan Suter (assist). Forward Derek Dorsett (assist) reflected his team's improved attention to detail by wiping away a juicy rebound, leading eventually to Brassard's push the other way and New York's 3-1 lead.
MARC-ED IMPROVEMENT
Defenseman Marc Staal skated on Saturday and Sunday for the first times since his Dec. 8 concussion and told reporters there was 'no comparison' between this injury and the symptoms that caused him to miss the first 36 games of the 2011-12 season.
'No, it's different,' said Staal, who has had 'ups and downs' in his rehab but feels good about his recent progress. 'Last time, I played through a concussion for so long (in the spring of 2011) that the effects dragged on forever. It was different this time around ... I felt better ... quicker, so no comparison.'
Staal does not have a timeline for a return but anticipated he would continue working out through the Christmas break if he doesn't experience any setbacks from skating.
Of the collision with Devils forward Reid Boucher that led to his injury, Staal said: 'Everything kind of went silent except for a really loud ringing in my ears, and I got a headache immediately after I got hit. So right then I knew obviously something was wrong, so I just got off the ice and tried to deal with it.'
Post a Comment for "Rangers put Cam Talbot in goal, find relief in 4"