PITTSBURGH — The Rangers indulged in a delicious win against a division rival on Thanksgiving Eve.
Feasting on a gutsy 1-0 victory over the Penguins on Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena, the Blueshirts pieced together a convincing 60-minute performance in which backup Jonathan Quick served up a shutout against Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Co.
Alexis Lafreniere brought the main dish as the lone goal scorer of the night, while the Rangers penalty kill cleaned up the mess with a perfect 5-for-5 showing, including two late-game penalties that could’ve changed the entire trajectory of the game.
This was an identity-shaping win that required all hands on deck against a depleted Pittsburgh team that is desperately searching to stop its slippage in the standings.
Every block mattered. Every hit mattered. Every save mattered.
The Rangers haven’t been on the winning side of too many 1-0 games in recent season.
In fact, they only had one last season and it was an overtime victory.
There was only one the year before that, and zero the year before that.
As a high-scoring team, it makes sense, though this Rangers team is collecting wins in ways it hasn’t before.
It was a one-goal game for roughly 55 minutes, throughout which both clubs had spurts of pressure. There was no shortage of action as each team’s top line peppered opposing goalies, but the Rangers seemed to get much more from the bottom half of their lineup.
Pittsburgh’s top line of Jake Guentzel, Crosby and Drew O’Connor, who was filling in for the injured Bryan Rust, produced a bulk of their offensive opportunities.
The Rangers, on the other hand, received contributions from all over their top nine.
Outshooting the Penguins 36-32, the Rangers were relentless and aggressive in their pursuit of the puck. Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry kept his team in it, recording 31 saves through two periods and 35 overall.
In his first start in 10 days, Quick was at the top of his game as the Rangers withstood an early flurry of Grade-A chances from the Penguins.
He denied Radim Zohorna on back-to-back shots in front to keep Pittsburgh off the board in the first period, while the rest of the Rangers in front of him managed to apply their own pressure.
Quick ultimately stopped all 32 shots he faced in his second shutout as a Ranger.
Lafreniere opened the scoring for the Rangers just over five minutes into the game when Mika Zibanejad stole the puck in the neutral zone and sprung No. 13 for a short breakaway.
The former first-overall pick didn’t hesitate, roofing a nasty backhander past Jarry for his eighth goal of the season.
The Penguins nearly tied it up in the first after Quick lost his glove and Penguins call-up Alex Nylander tipped the puck in.
A Rangers’ challenge for offside, however, swung their way and it was overturned.
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