The trade deadline has come and gone and Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers are back to just focusing on hockey, allowing them to get back in the win column.
The New York Rangers finally got back into the win column following a week full of trades. With all of the newcomers and the deadline over, the club could get back to focusing just on hockey.
With all of the deadline distractions gone, the Rangers went out and won all three games they played this week. They received contributions from new players on top of contributions from players who have been here for a significant amount of time.
Here are the three stars for the week of Feb. 25 through March 4.
3. Kevin Hayes
Kevin Hayes continues to play on a different level.
The Rangers were forced to make a decision when it came to Hayes and J.T. Miller. They chose to stick with Hayes and he hasn’t disappointed over the last 12 games. He’s scoring at a much higher clip than normal while continuing to play a solid all-around game.
This week Hayes has found the back of the net three times, including scoring two goals against Vancouver Tuesday night. His 18 goals rank second on the team behind Mika Zibanejad who has 19.
2. Ryan Spooner
Ryan Spooner has been on a tear since coming to the Rangers.
Spooner was a throw in as far as the Rick Nash trade was concerned because the Rangers were taking Matt Beleskey’s bad contract. Spooner’s play shows that the Bruins really gave up a good piece as apart of that trade.
In just four games since coming to the Rangers, Spooner has collected seven points, five of them this week. Now Spooner isn’t the type of player that will put up this production over an 82 game schedule. But if the Rangers can get half of that production, they wouldn’t complain.
1. Henrik Lundqvist
Honestly, Henrik Lundqvist deserves to be all three stars this week with the performances he put up.
In the week that Lundqvist turned 36-years-old, he looked like he was turning 26. Lundqvist faced 106 shots in the two games that he played in this week. He ended up making 100 saves with the Rangers winning both of those games.
Lundqvist became the first goalie in NHL history to make 50 or more saves in consecutive games and win those games. He is also the first Rangers goalie to have to make 50 saves in back-to-back games since Gump Worsley did so in 1963. Lundqvist is now just five wins away from getting to the 30 win mark.
Honorable Mentions
- Vladislav Namestnikov: One goal and an assist in his Rangers debut.
- Neal Pionk: Three assists in three games this week.
