When things break down, the Rangers can count on Igor Shesterkin to cover up their mistakes. In last night’s 4-1 win over the Red Wings at Madison Square Garden, it was the brilliant play of Shesterkin that made the difference. He finished with 31 saves to pick up his second victory of the season in three starts.

If he was a bit off in a high scoring 6-5 overtime loss to Utah HC on Oct. 12, Shesterkin more than made up for it making key saves when the Rangers needed it most. He was particularly strong in a disjointed second period – stopping all 14 shots to keep the game tied entering the third period. That included some critical ones when the Red Wings spent large chunks of time in the Rangers zone, generating scoring chances.

Somehow, the media thought that Shesterkin was the game’s third star. Did they even watch? Without him, the Rangers fall behind in the second period. When the Red Wings pressed the attack, which was aided by a couple of power plays, they forced Shesterkin into some difficult stops. He stood tall on Lucas Raymond and J.T. Compher.

For Detroit, Alex Lyon got the start. The backup to former Ranger Cam Talbot, he was good. But there was at least one goal he could’ve had. Following a couple of Shesterkin saves to prevent the Wings from grabbing an early lead, Zac Jones led Artemi Panarin in transition. As he cruised into the Detroit zone, Panarin set up Alexis Lafreniere for a one-timer that beat Lyon through the wickets to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. He caught Lyon moving. It was his second goal of the season. Lafreniere is up to four points. Every one increases his value.

It looked like they’d take a one-goal lead to the locker room. But the Red Wings had other ideas. After receiving a Patrick Kane feed, Justin Woll pinched down and found a wide open Dylan Larkin for a quick one-timer that beat the buzzer. The goal was scored with less than two seconds left. The Rangers’ top line broke down. Woll made a good move and had enough sense to realize how much time he had to find Larkin for the equalizer. Both Panarin and Lafreniere puck watched. Rookie defenseman Victor Mancini wasn’t in the right position. It was a frustating conclusion to the first period.

The second saw the Blueshirts get into penalty trouble. A Chris Kreider hooking minor led to a strong Red Wings’ power play. Despite having seven shots on it, they were unable to beat Shesterkin. He continued to stifle them when play returned to even strength. He was locked in.

If there’s an area they need to improve, it’s defensively. There have been too many instances during the first three games when they’ve given up dangerous opportunities. Utah HC exposed them. The Red Wings couldn’t due to Shesterkin, who rebounded well from an off start. In the 6-5 overtime defeat this past Saturday, he allowed six goals on 26 shots. It was a sharp contrast on Monday night when he stopped 31 of 32 shots. The goalie is the last line of defense. The Rangers are lucky to have him. Eventually, they’ll find some common ground on a new contract.

With the game still tied, Adam Edstrom drew a high-sticking minor on Holl. It took the Rangers’ top unit only eight seconds to take advantage. After a faceoff win, Panarin moved the puck over to Mika Zibanejad in the left circle. He didn’t hesitate, sending a nice pass past Red Wings defenseman Mo Seider right on Kreider’s stick for a tip-in past Lyon. His specialty. The power-play goal gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with 2:55 left in the period. Kreider already is up to three goals. He scored twice against the Penguins in the season opener on Oct. 9.

Adam Fox nearly had another one at the buzzer. Following some good attack time from the Zibanejad line, K’Andre Miller sent a shot wide. With time winding down, Fox got to a loose puck and fired a backhand past an unassuming Lyon as the horn sounded. But it was a second too late. It was a smart play by Fox. He almost caught Lyon napping for a goal.

If there was a difference, the Rangers played much tighter defensively in the third period. They also were better offensively. They didn’t spend much time in the Red Wings’ end during the second. That wasn’t the case in the final 20 minutes. It was the Blueshirts who carried the play. They played with more urgency.

Mancini nearly had his first goal again. In the game against Utah HC, he had it negated due to Matt Rempe being in the blue paint, which resulted in incidental contact with Connor Ingram. On an aggressive shift, he made a nice move and fired a good shot that Lyon made a good save on. Mancini continues to impress with his skating and ability to jump into the play. Even though he’ll likely be sent down to the Hartford Wolf Pack, when Ryan Lindgren returns, Mancini has shown a lot of promise. He doesn’t look like a sixth round pick.

On an offensive draw, Zibanejad won it clean back to Reilly Smith. Smith’s quick wrist shot from the circle beat Lyon far side inside the goalpost to put the Rangers ahead by two with 15:09 remaining. Zibanejad has been winning more faceoffs thus far. Any time you can win one like he did for Smith’s first goal as a Ranger, that’s a huge positive. Faceoff plays have become critical in the league. You can create offense off of them. You couldn’t have drawn it up any better.

The Rangers picked up Zibanejad later when he went for taking down Raymond. So far, the penalty kill has been alright. They allowed one power-play goal to Utah HC in four chances. They were a perfect 4-for-4 against the Red Wings. They’ve gone 10-f0r-11 in their first three games. Both Miller and Jacob Trouba continue to excel shorthanded. Braden Schneider has been good so far, getting some shorthanded chances. Sam Carrick has fit in on the penalty killing unit.

The Red Wings lifted Lyon with over two minutes remaining in regulation. They never came close. Instead, the Rangers were excellent defensively. Carrick was used for a shift with Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. On another defensive shift, Trouba moved the puck to Panarin at the Detroit zone. He then dished across for a Zibanejad empty netter that sealed the victory. After going without a point in the first two games, Zibanejad finished with three points, including his first goal of the season. It’s important for his confidence.

Panarin finished with three assists. He is up to seven points. The seven points in the first three games allowed him to become the fourth Rangers player to post multiple points in three straight games to start a season. He joined Mike McEwen (1978-79), Bernie Nicholls (1990-91), and Kreider (2016-17).

Panarin is off to another fast start. It isn’t about what he does now. However, the consistency he’s shown has made him the best Rangers’ free agent signing. He is a dynamic player with remarkable talent. If you subtracted him from the roster, the Rangers would be hard pressed to make the playoffs. He competes extremely hard. His battle level has improved under coach Peter Laviolette. A good example was the strength he showed on a defensive shift with the Rangers protecting a two-goal lead. He warded off a Red Wings’ checker to help kill more time.

Smith got recognized for notching his first as a Blueshirt in the locker room. The Broadway hat looked a little funny on him. You could tell that he was trying to get used to it. He’s a proud veteran and former Stanley Cup champion. If he can score between 20 to 25 goals while playing with Zibanejad and Kreider, then that line should improve from last year. They have to be better at 5-on-5. Hopefully, Smith’s experience can help spark Zibanejad, who is the key to their success.

Brodzinski Replaces Rempe

As expected, Jonny Brodzinski replaced Rempe in the lineup. He took 13 shifts all at even strength, logging 8:11 of ice time. Edstrom received even less getting 7:32 in 11 shifts. Carrick played more because he kills penalties.

If there’s an area I’d like to see Laviolette do a better job on, it’s showing enough confidence in the fourth line. The Rangers must become a four line team. When he cuts down to three lines this early in the season, it’s counterproductive. Carrick looks like a solid replacement for Barclay Goodrow. He knows how to play his role.

Why even play Rempe if he’s going to get less than four minutes? He set an excellent screen on Mancini’s shot that almost was his first career NHL goal. If Rempe’s in for Thursday’s rematch at Detroit, he has to play more than he did against Utah HC.

If Laviolette refuses to play the checking line consistently, he could burn out his best forwards. It’s important to manage the minutes of Panarin, Trocheck, Zibanejad, and Kreider. All four play in every situation. It’s a long season. He shouldn’t overplay his stars.

The third line of Filip Chytil, Will Cuylle, and Kaapo Kakko has shown good chemistry. Along with Lafreniere, Chytil and Kakko don’t receive enough power play time. It can’t be a repeat of the last few seasons. They shouldn’t lean as heavily on the top unit. Finding balance is a key to success.