Nothing Wild about Ranger win

March 24, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

Two points are two points. At this stage of the season, you take ‘em anyway you can get them. With tonight’s Garden clash featuring two of the league’s lowest scoring teams, there didn’t figure to be a ton of offense.

Precisely how it played out as the Rangers used goals from Nikolai Zherdev and Scott Gomez to prevail over Marian Gaborik and the Wild 2-1, gaining an important win to move into a sixth place tie with idle Pittsburgh, who they visit Saturday.

If they weren’t good over the weekend, then the Rangers were much sharper versus Jacques Lemaire’ defensive oriented Western club that entered a point out of eighth. Using John Tortorella’s aggressive brand of hockey, they attacked with vigor pinning their opponents in for long stretches. They outshot the Wild 10-3 in a onesided first.

Still, it took kind of an odd play late in the stanza for the Blueshirts to get on the board first for the 12th time in 13 games under Tortorella. Following a brief scrap between enforcer Colton Orr and Minnesota leading finisher Owen Nolan with Orr getting an extra two for roughing, Antti Miettinen was whistled for interference putting the teams four aside.

It didn’t take long for the superior puck possession home club to take advantage. Thanks to a solid pinch by Wade Redden, who played one of his best games as a Ranger, the puck went down low to Zherdev, whose initial deflection hit off the side of the net. But with second ticking away and Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom down, Zherdev patiently waited before firing a sharp angle rebound into the open side for his 22nd with 4.7 seconds remaining.

A great goal because there really wasn’t much to shoot at. But this is the kind of skill the 24 year-old has. Since his benching, he’s played better posting all four points (3-1-4) in the last four contests. The recent boost has given the potential RFA a chance to match his career best season when he posted 61 points with Columbus last season. Zherdev’s 22-33-55 with eight games left.

Only down one, Minnesota awakened tying it early in the second thanks to their most talented player Gaborik, who in only his eighth game and second back from groin problems was dynamic in the 20+ minutes he received. Looking dangerous right away, he forced Henrik Lundqvist to make a tough save during a four-on-four. Lundqvist and his teammates weren’t as fortunate on Gaborik’s next shift when he escaped a check to deflect home a Marek Zidlicky pass tying it at 1:31. Rookie Peter Olvecky added a helper.

Instead of letting that take momentum away, the Rangers came right back thanks to another solid keep in by Redden. The puck came to Sean Avery, who chipped it along the boards for Zherdev. Zherdev returned it to Avery who then made a nice backhand pass across for a cutting Gomez, who buried his 16th upstairs.

The assist extended Avery’s home run to five straight since he returned. He has six points (2-4-6) during that span with the club winning four of the five games at MSG. Not bad for a player Dallas didn’t want. How’s their playoff push working out? Maybe they can ask great ‘team leader’ Mike Modano.

As for Avery, he also had an entertaining scrap with Minnesota rookie Cal Clutterbuck late in the first. It was his first fight since coming back. He only had 10 penalty minutes prior in his Broadway Sequel with no minor penalties in the previous three. Apparently, the new Avery is about hockey. A refreshing change for a player with skill who so far has made a difference.

Despite continuing to dictate play with a much more active D getting involved, the Rangers couldn’t increase the margin as Backstrom stopped 21 of 23 thru 40 minutes to give his team a chance.

The Wild were better in the third but couldn’t get one of their nine shots by Lundqvist, whose night was a walk in the park aside from a couple of key late stops including one on Clutterbuck with under two minutes left.

They made it interesting keeping a couple of pucks in to get chances but the outcome was decided when Ryan Callahan led a two-on-two rush drawing a Kim Johnsson slash with 33 seconds to go. From there, the Rangers killed the clock to post their fourth win in five.

Three Stars:

3rd Star-Wade Redden, NYR (assist, 3 SOG, +2 in 20:39)

2nd Star-Sean Avery, NYR (assist, scrap, 3 SOG, +1 in 16:39)

1st Star-Nikolai Zherdev, NYR (Goal, assist, 3 SOG, +2 in 18:09)

Notes: Gaborik had five of the Wild’s 19 shots including his fourth goal while playing physical landing four hits including a clean shoulder that caught Markus Naslund, who had no chance as he was reaching to play a puck. Naslund was okay getting 22 shifts without registering a shot. … In 10 shifts (4:06), Orr made the most of his time getting a decision over Nolan while also getting two hits including one cruncher at the end of a shift. … In 10 GP, Avery is 4-4-8 with 2 PPG and 15 PIM.

… In his NHL debut, former 2005 2nd Rd. Pick Michael Sauer was solid taking 17 shifts (13:33) getting one shot through and blocking one while teamed with Paul Mara. He wore No.56 and should be in the lineup for at least the next two with Michal Rozsival out 7-10 days with a “lower body injury.” … Blueshirts controlled the circle going 35-for-54 on faceoffs with Gomez particularly strong finishing 15-6 while captain Chris Drury went 11-7. … The club also had a slight edge in physicality outhitting Minnesota 32-28 despite a game best eight from Clutterbuck. Dan Girardi countered with seven and partner Marc Staal added five with both seeing better than 24 minutes.

… Callahan had his six-game scoring string end. During it, he went 4-4-8, +3. He still played nearly 19 minutes registering a pair of shots along with two hits and two takeaways. … Blair Betts saw only 7:29 including 1:18 of valuable PK time helping the top rated Rangers kill off both Wild power plays. … In his return, W Dan Fritsche got 15:07 going minus-one nearly tying it late. … With the Habs ending their five-game winless slide with a 6-3 home win sparked by a five-point effort from Alex Tanguay, the Rangers remain three points ahead of them with one fewer game left. …  Rangers (39-27-8, 86 Pts) start a two-game road trip in Atlanta (30-38-6, 66 Pts) Thursday with a stop at Pittsburgh Saturday.