The Rangers are two games into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and it’s very clear what their superpower is, why they won the Presidents’ Trophy and are the favorites to drink from the coveted chalice for the first time in 30 years.
Depth is the Rangers’ superpower.
Depth is why, after Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over the Capitals in Game 2 of the playoffs at the Garden, they take a 2-0 series lead against Washington on Friday night.
Depth is why the Rangers look like the superior team in this series.
Across the two games, eight different Rangers scored their eight goals.
Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Sunday night, it was their fourth line, highlighted by rookie Matt Rempe, who hasn’t even played 20 games in the NHL yet, who was the star of the show.
Tuesday evening, make your choice.
Vincent Trocheck with the Rangers’ first goal of the game, a critical first-half response after Washington came out in desperation and took a 1-0 lead?
Mika Zibanejad, who was all over the ice all night, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the first period on an assist from Trocheck?
Jack Roslovic, acquired mid-season, who broke a 2-2 tie with a missile over the left shoulder of Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren in the second period?
Or defenseman K’Andre Miller, who scored what turned out to be the game-winner with a short-handed goal late in the second period to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead.
Add those stars of the night to Matt Rempe, Artemi Panarin, Jimmy Vesey and Chris Kreider – the four scorers from the first game, and what you have: a COMPLETE TEAM.
“I can go through the whole formation and… yeah, it’s a challenge,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said after the game. “They are adding a few players at the deadline. Roslovic makes the difference tonight, doesn’t he? This is a high-end elite game that you need to perform well in.
“It’s a deep team. There’s a reason they won the Presidents’ Trophy. So we know. They have good players.
The Rangers come at you in waves.
Of course, Panarin led the team with a career year that included 49 goals and 120 points. But the Rangers’ offense isn’t just about Panarin. He counts one of the Rangers’ eight goals.
In fact, on this night, the artistically talented Panarin was more of a factor with his physique, mixing it up several times with some Capitals tough guys like TJ Oshie.
This hardly escaped the notice of “Breadman’s” teammates.
Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Trocheck specifically criticized Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière (28 goals this season) for their physicality Tuesday night as a difference maker against the desperate Caps.
“Anytime you have guys like that who are more talented players who aren’t necessarily expected to be physical, who are just expected to produce offensively, and when you have guys like that who play physical , it really shows the rest of the team. “If these guys do it, then we all have to do it,” Trocheck said. “It was great leadership from those two.”
The Capitals, unlike the Rangers, are not deep at all. They rely too much on their aging star Alex Ovechkin, who led the team with 31 goals in the regular season.
And the Rangers made him invisible in two games. Ovechkin didn’t make a single shot in the opener and was held to just one shot Tuesday night.
“We have a very solid team – four good lines, six good defensemen and a good goaltender,” Ryan Lindgren said.
“Depth is huge in the playoffs,” Trocheck said. “Everyone has to contribute. There won’t be one or two lines contributing every night, so you need everyone. And so far in the playoffs, through two games, we’ve had contributions up and down the lineup.
Zibanejad said the depth “has been there all year, and when it comes to these types of games, we’re talking about everyone’s need.” And I feel like everyone is stepping up and playing their part and contributing in so many ways.
It’s been too much for the Caps to handle in these first two games and, ultimately, it will continue to be, because depth is the Rangers’ superpower.
“It’s been like that all year,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “It’s nice to have that depth.”
New York Post
