The New York Rangers continued their hot start since returning from the All-Star break with a 7-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. They improved to 5-0 in February, giving them six straight wins dating back to Jan. 27.

In a game that included Chris Kreider recording the sixth hat trick of his career, Will Cuylle had a goal and assisted on a Kaapo Kakko goal. The 22-year-old forward is continuing to show improvement in his rookie season.

A strong player around the net, he has become a key factor for the Rangers. In a 2-0 shutout over the Calgary Flames on Feb. 12, it was Cuylle who put in a rebound of a Kakko shot for the game-winner in a lowscoring contest. He did what he does best by going to the net for the only goal the Blueshirts needed this past Monday. Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves to earn his first shutout of the season.

Cuylle Helps Spark Turnaround

During the first part of last night’s game, the Rangers struggled to get going against the Canadiens. In a quiet first period that saw Blake Wheeler suffer a serious leg injury, they looked like their minds were elsewhere after seeing their teammate carried off the ice on a stretcher. It was understandable. Nobody ever likes to see a player get hurt.

Following a delay, the Canadiens grabbed the lead. Jake Evans was left alone in front to put in a Josh Anderson rebound past a helpless Jonathan Quick. The culprit was Adam Fox. He blew the coverage. Although he had a big game with four assists, his defense hasn’t been on par. That’s an area that must improve. Fox isn’t alone. The Rangers allowed the Canadiens to hang around in the third period due to inconsistent play defensively.

In the second period, it took a while for the Rangers to turn it around. Having struggled to beat Habs goalie Sam Montembeault, they finally flipped the script by scoring four times over a four minute and 10-second span.

Kreider started it by burying a Mika Zibanejad feed from the high slot to tie the game with 8:51 remaining in the second. Cuylle helped spark the turnaround by scoring for the second consecutive game. Over a minute later, he parked himself in front and redirected a Ryan Lindgren pass to make it 2-1. It was his 10th goal of the season.

Most of Cuylle’s goals have come while providing the grunt work. Listed at six-foot three, 210 pounds, the first-year player will do whatever it takes to provide some energy during shifts. He leads all rookies with 174 hits. He finishes checks and isn’t shy about getting in opponents’ faces when things get testy. His work ethic is one of his best qualities.

It isn’t a coincidence that Cuylle has been part of the Rangers’ resurgence. Since Peter Laviolette put Kakko on the third line with Jonny Brodzinski and Cuylle, it’s been their consistent play that’s helped improve the team’s scoring depth. Able to establish a forecheck by outworking opponents, they’ve done a good job at working below the dots. Their effectiveness has led to Laviolette giving them more shifts. They’ve rewarded the coach.

Zibanejad Scores Shorthanded

For Mika Zibanejad, 2024 hasn’t been good enough. He entered last night with only two goals since the New Year. In fact, it’s been two months since his last goal at five-on-five.

An important player to the team’s success, Zibanejad picked a good night to score a key goal. Following Cuylle’s tally, the Rangers were killing a Vincent Trocheck high-sticking minor penalty. While on the kill, Zibanejad drew a delayed call. With the extra attacker out, he took a Fox pass across and scored a shorthanded goal to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead with 5:17 left in the second.

It was an instance when he shot the puck. Something he hasn’t done enough of. Hopefully, that can be a confidence boost for the number one center. Zibanejad also added two assists to record a three-point game. That included a primary helper on Kreider’s third goal of the game to put the Blueshirts up 6-3 in a wide open third period.

Vesey a Possibility on First Line

With Wheeler down, it’ll be up to Laviolette to decide who should play on the first line. Zibanejad and Kreider have had their issues producing at even strength. Wheeler had improved his play recently. Unfortunately, it looks like his season is over. If it’s as bad as it looked, it could be the end of an outstanding career. Hopefully, it isn’t.

Laviolette mixed and matched following the injury. He tried Alexis Lafreniere and Jimmy Vesey on the top line. Vesey might be a good fit. He’s played with both Zibanejad and Kreider before. He plays a straightforward game and works diligently in the corners. If he’s moved up, the Rangers will look to Matt Rempe. He was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack this morning.

It’s doubtful that Laviolette would want to break up his best scoring line. Lafreniere has fit in nicely with Artemi Panarin and Trocheck. The chemistry they have makes it hard to split them up. With Kakko playing better since being put on the third line, Vesey makes the most sense to move up. He’s got 12 goals and is a good complementary player who goes to the dirty areas.

Youth Movement part of Philosophical Change

With Tyler Pitlick clearing waivers yesterday to be assigned to Hartford, it looks like the Rangers could have a new fourth line. Barclay Goodrow remains the center who doubles on the penalty kill. Adam Edstrom played in his third NHL game last night, receiving 15 shifts (10:05). He also played in the 2-0 win over Calgary.

The 23-year-old former 2019 sixth round pick adds size to the roster. He’s six-foot seven and 234 pounds. A solid skater, Edstrom looks like he’ll have a role on the checking line moving forward. With Rempe up to add even more physicality, the Rangers just became tougher.

The fact that they’ve let two veterans go and given opportunities to younger players shows a philosophical change in the organization. They’ve gotten younger. Something that had to happen. It’s a welcome change for a team that sometimes prefers more experienced players. This should create excitement for fans who’ve wanted to see the kids given the opportunity to show what they can do.

Drury to Explore the Market

It isn’t to say that Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury won’t explore the market to see if he can upgrade. With less than five weeks away from the NHL trade deadline on Mar. 21, Drury will work the phones to see who’s available.

The loss of Wheeler means that the Rangers will probably be looking for a first line right wing. Vesey can fill in for the time being. But he’s better suited in a checking role. Much will depend on the cost. After seeing what Elias Lindholm went for, it’ll be an interesting decision for Drury.

If Brodzinski can continue to fill in well centering the third line, then the Rangers might not need to overpay for a center. Is Adam Henrique really worth a first round pick and a prospect? We’ll see if there’s a reunion with Frank Vatrano. It all depends on how things go.

At the very least, things have gone much better this month. The Rangers have widened their lead to eight points over the Carolina Hurricanes. There’s no reason to panic.