Having strong goaltending can solve a lot of problems. It remains the biggest reason for the Rangers’ good start. Thanks to 24 saves from backup Jonathan Quick, they shutout the Seattle Kraken 2-0 last night at Climate Pledge Arena. The win improved them to 11-4-1 on the season.

For the second straight start, Quick pitched a shutout. He previously stopped 37 shots to blank the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 9. The 38-year-old netminder continues to deliver when he’s called upon by Rangers coach Peter Laviolette. He passed Turk Broda for sole possession of 18th on the all-time shutout list with the 62nd of his career. He became just the fourth goalie over the past 15 years to post consecutive shutouts at the age of 38 or older – joining Martin Brodeur, Dwayne Roloson, and Mike Smith.

For Quick, he’s now three wins shy of 400. When he reaches it, he’ll become the first US-born goalie to reach 400 in NHL history. He passed Ryan Miller (391 wins) last season for the most by an American-born goalie.

“You don’t really put too much thought into it. You’re honored to have those numbers. At the end of the day, as a goalie, you’re very dependent on your team in front of you. All those numbers really mean is I’ve played with some great players and teams that value winning more than anything. I consider myself very grateful and lucky to have played with all those guys over the course of my career,” a humble Quick told Mollie Walker of the NY Post.

Quick improved to 4-0 this season. He remains inpenetrable. In four starts, he’s only allowed three goals on 125 shots. If you include a relief appearance against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 7, he’s stopped 131 of 135 shots. For those keeping track, that’s a .970 save percentage. His goals-against-average is now 0.91. Pretty insane numbers for the former Stanley Cup champion.

Before we get too crazy over his performance, he’s done it against beatable opponents. He beat the Red Wings twice, the Ducks, and the Kraken. They aren’t exactly world beaters. Igor Shesterkin remains the starter who draws the harder assignments. He’ll likely return to the net when the four-game road trip continues at the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

The Kraken came in on a four-game winning streak. They had done it without two of their best players. Vince Dunn is on long-term injured reserve. He’s their best defenseman. Jordan Eberle missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Eberle is second in team scoring with 11 points, including six goals. Subtracting a key scorer on a team that’s offensively challenged doesn’t help. Counting Sunday night’s game, Seattle ranks 18th in offense averaging 2.84 goals-per-game. The Rangers are tied for sixth with the Tampa Bay Lightning, averaging 3.56 goals-per-game.

In a tightly contested game that had little space to make plays, the Rangers’ superior skill proved to be the difference. They got goals from Alexis Lafreniere and Zac Jones in the victory.

There wasn’t much offense during the first period. In a period they outshot the Kraken 9-6, the Rangers were unable to beat backup Philipp Grubauer. He made some good saves early to keep the game scoreless. That included stopping Jimmy Vesey on a good shift from the fourth line. The trio of Vesey, Sam Carrick, and Adam Edstrom were around the puck often. Carrick had a big night on faceoffs, winning seven of eight.

Kaapo Kakko had the best scoring chance. On a strong shift by the third line, which included Jonny Brodzinski, who filled in nicely for Filip Chytil, Kakko had Grubauer down with an open net. But he hit the side of the net. It was a missed opportunity for a player who struggles at finishing. Overall, he remains a good player who forechecks and defends well.

Seattle didn’t generate a whole lot. However, they spent some time in the Rangers’ end due to their skating. Most of the attack time came when Ryan Lindgren was on with Jacob Trouba. Lindgren had issues with their team speed. Fortunately, the Kraken missed the net a good amount. Both teams totaled 16 missed shots for the game. When you had Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky firing wide from the slot, it looked like the gang that can’t shoot straight.

Later in the period, Quick came up with two stops on Jaden Scwartz. When they needed a big save, he made it.

If you like hitting, Will Cuylle supplied it. He was finishing checks throughout the game. In fact, he paced all skaters with 10 hits. Cuylle also was involved offensively, picking up an assist on the second Rangers’ goal. The most improved Blueshirt continues to play with consistency.

Most of the game was played at five-on-five. The lone exception was when Lindgren went off for grabbing Yanni Gourde with 2:35 left in the first period. Instead of the Kraken getting anything on the power play, they allowed a shorthanded chance. After a good read from K’Andre Miller, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider came in on a two-on-one. After criss crossing, Kreider worked a give and go with Zibanejad, who dished the puck across for a one-timer from the right circle that a quick reacting Grubauer slid across to deny.

Before the period concluded, Quick was called upon to stop Brandon Tanev. He only made six saves but they were timely. To their credit, the Rangers defended better than in previous games. There still were some hiccups in the second period.

The Kraken picked it up in the second. They got the first six shots. Most came from long range, which Quick handled. His best stop came on Schwartz in tight. Seattle held the edge in shots 10-7.

In the period of the long change, each side took turns keeping the puck in the offensive zone. On a very long shift for Miller and Adam Fox that saw them top two minutes each, the third line bailed them out. Brodzinski, Cuylle, and Kakko defended so well. They backchecked and didn’t allow the Kraken to get any significant chances. Eventually, Cuylle cleared the zone. That finally helped Miller and Fox make a much needed line change.

On the flip side, Vincent Trocheck got a great chance. But he was unable to beat Grubauer, who up to that point had played like a number one goalie.

During an extended shift by the big scoring line, with Jones and Braden Schneider changing on for Miller and Fox, a very patient Artemi Panarin waited before making a bullet pass in front for Lafreniere to tip in for the game’s first goal with 2:30 remaining.

It was a well executed play from two skilled players. Panarin’s one of the best passers in the league for a reason. He had too much time and space. Lafreniere was parked in front for the easy finish. It was his seventh goal. He extended his point streak to four (2-2-4). With the primary assist, Panarin extended his point streak to seven (4-5-9). Since the start of the season, he’s only been held off the score sheet once in 16 games. He leads the Rangers in scoring with 24 points (10-14-24).

In the third period, the Kraken had some good sustained pressure in the Rangers’ zone. Quick made a key stop on Adam Larsson to keep the Rangers ahead. On another shift, Jones made a good defensive play to get out of his zone. On a quick play in transition, Cuylle and Kakko combined to move the puck to Jones in the Kraken zone. He walked in and beat Grubauer through the wickets for his first of the season at 2:58. It was a nice reward for a defenseman that continues to improve each game. He and Schneider were again the Rangers’ best.

Following a Lindgren turnover, Quick denied Jared McCann. The Kraken held a slight 8-7 edge in shots for the period. Most came from the outside. When their attempts didn’t connect, it was either blocked or missed entirely. The Rangers blocked 21 led by Schneider (4). Jamie Oleksiak blocked six for Seattle. They repellled 17 shots.

With the Blueshirts leading by two, the fourth line nearly made it three. But Adam Edstrom was stopped by Grubauer. A good skater for his size, he seems to get chances every game. With that line playing well, Laviolette rewarded them with more ice time. They all topped 10 minutes with Carrick pacing them with 11:03. That included a 37-second shift on the penalty kill.

By rolling four lines, Laviolette’s keeping ice times down for his best forwards. Zibanejad only received 14:37. Kreider had 14:45. Even Panarin finished with 18:37. Without a power play, they didn’t play as much.

With Grubauer lifted for an extra skater, Panarin missed an empty net wide. Daniel Sprong had one last attempt blocked as the buzzer sounded. It was a solid effort. While certainly not the most exciting style, the Rangers earned two points. Considering how good the top of the Metropolitan Division is, that matters most. With 23 points, the Rangers sit in fourth place. They’ve played one fewer game than the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals. The New Jersey Devils have played four more.

If they continue to separate themselves from the middle of the pack, all four could make the playoffs. As the season evolves, we’ll see what happens. The Rangers visit the Canucks in two days.