Bobby Bevilacqua

Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.

The game started pretty awfully for Alain Vigneault and his club, but the Rangers (5-2-0) showed resiliency and the talent of their team in a 5-2 comeback victory over the Boston Bruins (3-4-0).

The Bruins opened the scoring just 10 seconds into the game and wound up leading 2-0, but a potent power play and a three goal second period helped fuel a comeback win for New York. Brandon Pirri led the way with two goals, including the game winner, while Rick Nash, Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Hayes also scored. Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves.

Here’s my recap with some thoughts and opinions;

• Alain Vigneault talked about how Nick Holden was very “safe” and “dependable.” He’s also talked about how Adam Clendening played okay, but made a few bad plays with the puck in the win over Washington. Clendening is in the press box. Holden was directly at fault for the first goal. How fitting.
• Holden made a baffling decision to throw the puck off the boards to a Bruins player, abandon his man, David Pastrnak, only to watch him skate past him and beat Lundqvist five-hole just 10 seconds into the game.
• The only Rangers player with a big offensive presence in the first period was JT Miller, who had two great chances but was robbed by Zane McIntyre, a fourth string goalie making his first ever NHL start; one with the glove and another with his right pad.
• McIntyre wound up stopping all nine shots he faced in the first period and actually looked pretty solid considering the situation.
• The Bruins got their second goal and it was Austin Czarnik scoring his first career NHL goal. Kevin Klein made an awful turnover, three Rangers went to cover Spooner, and Skjei screened Hank while making an awful block attempt. Really weak goal from Lundqvist too.
• On New York’s one power play, Nick Holden got time on the point on the first unit. Last year, Keith Yandle didn’t play on the first power play unit until January. WTH AV!?!?
• My biggest gripe with Vigneault is how he’ll criticize Clendening for making a few puck mistakes but seems to forget when Holden, Klein, Girardi, etc. do they exact same thing. It’s frustrating and it doesn’t make any sense. Hold everyone to the same standard.
• Josh Jooris left the game in the first period after a seemingly normal check. He didn’t return due to an “upper body injury”
• Nothing much happened for the first half of the period. The Bruins were penalized four times and that wound up being the turning point for the Rangers.
• On the second Rangers power play of the period, Rick Nash wound up scoring his third goal of the season. Vesey hit him with a perfect pass for a redirection, but McIntyre made a great save there. Nash stuck with it and scored on the second chance effort. Vesey picked up his first career assist and the floodgates were opened.
• Six or seven minutes later, Kevin Hayes scored his third goal of the season on a very heads up play. McIntyre was leaving the post early and Hayes banked it off of his back, taking advantage of McIntrye’s tendencies. The game was tied at two, but the Rangers weren’t done just yet.
• Brandon Pirri came through on the team’s second power play goal of the period. Perfectly placed shot through a screen gave him his third goal of the season, and it gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
• Earlier in the period Dan Girardi was deliberately hit in the head by David Pastrnak. It looked bad but Girardi wound up returning.
• The third period started exactly the same, with the Rangers coming out with all cylinders firing. Brandon Pirri scored his second goal of the game after a shot from JT Miller went wide and Pirri collected the puck, depositing it into the empty net. 4-2 Rangers.
• Jimmy Vesey and Rick Nash’s chemistry continued to grow, with Vesey picking up his fourth goal of the season. Nash made a perfect cross-crease pass to him and it was an easy tap in. The Rangers led 5-2 and that would be the final score.
• This offense is scary good. The speed element is back, the depth is there, the talent is plenty and they’re meshing very well together. When everyone is healthy, especially Chris Kreider, the offense might be the best in the league. Their 27 goals through seven games lead the NHL.
• The power play is also drastically improved. In prior seasons, the Rangers have struggled because they couldn’t convert on key power plays. Tonight, they won by capitalizing on them in the second period. They have six power play goals through seven games, which is the most for them in the first seven games of the season since the 2009-10 season. (via @StatBoy_Steven)
• Brandon Pirri is a lethal offensive force. His four goals lead the team and he’s tied with McDonagh for second on the team in scoring. Pirri is also proving two things; he’s arguably the best asset the team has on the power play, and he’s a legitimate sniper. Don’t be surprised to see him hit the 20 goal mark this season. He’s in the midst of a three game point streak.
• Jimmy Vesey is also really impressive. Every single game he looks more and more at home and comfortable with the level of play. He didn’t need much adjustment and is quickly developing chemistry with Rick Nash and Derek Stepan. Him and Nash should stick together this season, it’s working. Four goals and an assist is beyond what I expected in seven games from Vesey, so I’m thrilled. Vesey has five points (4-1-5) in his last five games.
• After a slow start, things are picking up for JT Miller. He had two assists tonight and could have scored two goals of his own. He was a big time player for the team last season and if he can replicate his production from last year, that’s just another dangerous scoring option the Rangers have at hand.
• Ryan McDonagh collected another assist tonight, giving him one in five straight games and six on the season. He’s been fantastic in all areas of the game and looks to be the same player we saw back in the 2013-14 season.
• Four different players scored a goal tonight and 10 had at least one point. That speaks to the depth this team has at their disposal. And that was without Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich tonight.
• The Rangers are averaging 3.86 goals per game this season, which leads the league.
• The Rangers next game is Friday night in Carolina.

THREE STARS

1) Brandon Pirri – 2 G, 3 SOG, 13:54 TOT

2) Rick Nash – 1 G, 1 A, 18:15 TOT

3) JT Miller – 2 A, 3 SOG, 18:32 TOT