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New York Rangers 3, Detroit Red Wings 2, Final: Blueshirts Finish Strong (Highlights)

In game 82 of the regular season, Antti Raanta and the New York Rangers defeat the hungry Detroit Red Wings by a final of 3-2 at MSG.

  • New York Rangers 3 (46-27-9, 101 pts)
  • Detroit Red Wings 2 (41-30-11, 93 pts)
  • NHL, Final, Box Score
  • Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

The feeling was strange all afternoon among fans at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon.

They wondered, pondered whether it was best for their beloved New York Rangers to end the regular season on a high-note, or lose and secure themselves a date with the Florida Panthers in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Although that mood remained strange for most of the game, the third period brought something else to the table.

The Rangers did, indeed, earn two points against the hungry Detroit Red Wings (who were looking to secure a playoff spot of their own) by a final of 3-1.

Two of the much “focused-on” defensemen on this Rangers roster turned out solid days.

First was Dan Boyle, who tallied the Blueshirts first goal of the game 16:24 into the first period:

The second period was owned mostly by Detroit. They out-shot New York 16-7 and scored on a fluky shot from the point. It was Ryan Sheahan’s 14th of the season, coming via the power-play:

Thanks to the game being knotted in the third period, that strange feeling in the MSG air carried its way throughout. That was, until, New York started to breathe life into the air.

With the Wings scrapping their way on every shift, Antti Raanta, who started in place of Henrik Lundqvist, stood tall. So did the Rangers young defenders, Brady Skjei and Dylan McIlrath.

Speaking of McIlrath, just past the midway point of the third period, Dylan Larkin found his way into open ice with the puck. Looking to take advantage of the slower defender, he tried to gain the corner.

McIlrath wasn’t having any of it and made one of the more solid defensive open-ice plays you’ll lay eyes on.

https://vine.co/v/iTmgK6Uxxrb

With Sam Rosen overly-excited in the booth, this seemed to be the turning point in the game. The Rangers seized momentum and just a few minutes later made sure to capitalize on it.

Kevin Hayes collected his 14th of the season as he deflected a McIlrath point shot:

An empty-netter from Oscar Lindberg and a late Detroit goal rounded out the score on the afternoon.

New York finishes the regular season with a record of 46-27-9, for 101 points which will either be good for third place in the Metropolitan Division or a No. 1 Wild Card spot (depending on what the New York Islanders do in their final two games).

Should the Isles surpass the Rangers, it’ll be off to Florida to take on the Panthers. If the Rangers stay ahead of the Islanders, they’ll head to the Igloo for Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sitting out of this contest, aside from Lundqvist, was Ryan McDonagh (whose status for the playoffs is still uncertain), Dan Girardi, Mats Zuccarello, and Viktor Stalberg. The latter three are all expected to be ready for Round 1.

Of course, the Bluehsirts continued their final home game tradition of “Blueshirts off our backs” after the contest:

Despite the loss, the Wings still clinched a playoff spot due to the Boston Bruins loss on Saturday.

NEXT: New York Rangers Reaction Revolves Around ‘Playing To Win The Game’

Robby Sabo is a co-founder, CEO and credentialed New York Jets content creator for Jets X-Factor - Jet X, which includes Sabo's Sessions (in-depth film breakdowns) and Sabo with the Jets. Host: Underdog Jets Podcast with Wayne Chrebet and Sabo Radio. Member: Pro Football Writers of America. Coach: Port Jervis (NY) High School. Washed up strong safety and 400M runner. SEO: XL Media. Founder: Elite Sports NY - ESNY (Sold in 2020). SEO: XL Media. Email: robby.sabo[at]jetsxfactor.com