New York Rangers ride balance in win over Anaheim Ducks (Highlights)
Feb 7, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers center Oscar Lindberg (24) celebrates with his team after scoring a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Alain Vigneault‘s New York Rangers rode a completely balanced feeling while defeating the Anaheim Ducks at MSG on Tuesday night.

  • New York Rangers 4 (34-28-1, 69 pts)
  • Anaheim Ducks 1 (28-17-10, 66 pts)
  • NHL, Final, Box Score
  • Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Don’t look now, but it appears Alain Vigneault has figured it out. 

In the New York Rangers constant quest to find full balance up and down the lineup, his squad showcased exactly what he’s looking for on Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. It wasn’t one or two players who rose to the occasion, rather a complete effort from top-to-bottom in an impressive 3-1 victory.

On the surface, the 44 shots New York relented has fans scratch their heads about the defense. For the most part, however, the shots Henrik Lundqvist was tasked with weren’t of the high-quality variety.

Speaking of Lundqvist, he stopped 43-of-44 shots while picking up the win.

Oscar Lindberg started the party with second of the season just 4:01 into the contest. Pavel Buchnevich collected the primary assist on the play.

Just 1:06 into the second period, Mats Zuccarello capitalized on a hard-working Chris Kreider play, for his 11th of the campaign:

When the score was 2-1 in the third, J.T. Miller and Michael Grabner combined for the capper, an exhilarating goal to put it away:

For Grabner, it was his team-leading 23rd goal. For Miller, the play marked the 14th game of his last 16 he recorded at least one point. Actually, he now has 20 points in his last 16 games thanks to an empty-netter scored by the very same Grabner, who added his 24th late.

Three of the four lines tallied goals while all three defensive pairings held firm. The only goal allowed came on a miscue by Brady Skjei behind the net. He just couldn’t play the puck cleanly and the Ducks capitalized in the form of Jakob Silfverberg who found himself all alone in front of Hank.

Early in the third period, Derek Stepan was drilled from behind in the neutral zone, a scary play that saw his face fly first into the boards. Though he went to the locker room initially, he returned to the ice minutes later.

Although he gave up three goals, Ducks goaltender John Gibson was phenomenal in stopping 16 Rangers shots. Alain Vigneault picked up his 600th career NHL victory.

Now two points behind the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers will next welcome in the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, their third game of this four-game homestand.

 NEXT: Real Talk Rangers Podcast: AV's loyalty and 'pigeon or pro' (Audio) 

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Robby Sabo
https://jetsxfactor.com
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

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