Ryan Strome Cory Schneider
(AP Photo/ Bill Kostroun)

The New York Rangers thrilling victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday screams relentless youthful energy and will.

Give New York Rangers head coach David Quinn a lot of credit; his team just never seems to give up.

The Broadway Blueshirts headed into NHL Trade Deadline day on a high note with their dominant 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. However, the Boys in Blue haven’t fared well since they said their goodbyes to Kevin Hayes, Adam McQuaid, and Mats Zuccarello.

Despite their valiant efforts against some of the league’s best, New York dropped six games in a row following the departure of the trio. To make matters worse, the Rangers were defeated by one goal in five of those six contests.

On Saturday night, the Blueshirts snapped their losing skid with a much-needed victory over their slumping cross-river rivals: The New Jersey Devils.

Coach Quinn’s squad battled back from a 2-0 first-period deficit, as they scored four unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 win.

Fortunately, there were many positives to take away from this one.

Not only was it crucial for the young and fragile Baby Blueshirts to get their first taste of victory, but it was an encouraging performance as a whole from the Rebuilding Rangers.

As they have all season, the Boys in Blue continue to play with that “never say die” attitude. They could have sat back and rolled over as they headed to the locker down two tallies after the opening frame. Instead, David Quinn’s young and hungry group stormed back and put forth a dominating performance in the final 40 minutes.

Additionally, New York may have quietly found two gems in Ryan Strome and Vladislav Namestnikov. They registered three points apiece on Saturday night, and they continue to add secondary-scoring ever since their jump in ice-time as a result of losing Hayes and Zuccarello.

While Namestnikov may not have a long-term future with the Rangers, Strome, who is only 25-years-old and a former New York Islanders first-round pick, could be on Broadway for the long haul thanks to his impressive play since being acquired. Strome has proven to be an extremely valuable and versatile addition. Good on Jeff Gorton for only giving up Ryan Spooner in obtaining Strome.

Speaking of Blueshirts who have succeeded as of late, Libor Hajek had another strong outing on Saturday. Hajek, who has been excellent in the defensive-zone thus far, made an impact on the other end of the ice against the Devils. Knotting the score at two, Hajek found the back of the net for his first NHL goal and point.

Unfortunately, the young Czech blue-liner suffered a separated shoulder in the third period, and there is no timetable for his return. This is just terrible timing, as the 20-year-old was really starting to hit his stride. We’ll likely have to wait until next year to see more of him.

Furthermore, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider both made their way back onto the score-sheet versus New Jersey. Zibanejad ended with two helpers, and Kreider added one of his own. With Mats Zuccarello’s absence, Kreider and Zibanejad have settled down from their unsustainable hot-streaks, so it was great to see them make an impact in this one.

Kevin Shattenkirk and Brady Skjei, who have both been productive as of late, also each notched an assist.

The New York Rangers now hit the road for a game-stretch in which they will travel to Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, and Minnesota respectively. The Blueshirts will look to continue their winning ways on their upcoming trip, and if Saturday’s performance is any of indication of what’s to come, then the Boys in Blue may enjoy a successful final 14 games.

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Brian Paget has been a diehard New York Rangers and New York Jets fan since 2007. He is an aspiring young journalist, who is thrilled to be writing for Elite Sports New York. Brian will be covering the Blueshirts and the Jets for ESNY. He is currently a member of the NHL's Youth Advisory Board, and previously served as a Staff Writer for a Rangers website entitled BlueshirtsNation. You can reach Brian via E-Mail at [email protected], and find him on Twitter at @BrianPaget17.