Reactions from the New York Rangers victory in the Winter Classic.
The New York Rangers brought home a win for the 41,000+ fans that were reportedly in attendance for the Winter Classic at Citi Field in New York. It took some extra time but a J.T. Miller overtime goal gave the Rangers the extra point.
Here are some reactions and observations from the game:
- The Winter Classic doesn’t work for me. The fans are too far away from the action. If you watch the telecast you can see that the sideline camera is not as close as it is in a closed arena. To me it is a waste of time just to sell tickets. That was a personal one.
- The Rangers did a nice job of cleaning out loose pucks around Henrik Lundqvist. Too many times, loose pucks that aren’t controlled by the defense turn into goals. Maybe one time during the game, the Rangers couldn’t corral the puck and it turned into a Sabres’ goal. For the most part, the Rangers did an excellent job of cleaning up the trash in front of the net.
- The power play does need to produce more, though they finally picked up a goal against the Sabres. They went 1-3 at Citi Field, but they had gone 0-15 previously. New York needs to do a much better job of capitalizing with the man advantage.
- It is enjoyable to watch Kevin Shattenkirk play the game. He brings a speed to the defense that the Rangers haven’t seen much of. Having him on the same team as Ryan McDonagh is exciting to watch.
- The King is playing as good as he has over his entire career. Henrik Lundqvist has answered the early season questions as to whether or not he was finished. He is playing hockey and stopping pucks like a man with a lot of gas left in the tank.
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It was a complete game the Rangers played on Monday afternoon against the Sabres. Despite the air being colder than the ice, they got it done. It’s the type of performance that can lead the way to a big season. Let’s hope it continues.