Cuylle has a head in the game.
Not only about his development in his third New York season, but also in his strong performance in Monday's 4-0 victory, he reminded me of how goofy the Rangers have come to himself, no matter how stupid the 23-year-old is.
The left leaps off on various lines this season, at the right time and in the right place gave the team a laughable lead against the islanders in the first period.
From Zack Jones' blocked Zack Jones, filmed by islander Kyle Palmieri's skate, Quiel scored the goal from a perfectly placed helmet, eventually surpassing Ilya Sorokin.
“The true beauty,” Director Peter LaViolet said with a smile. “He will probably remember for the rest of his life.”
Before JT Miller arrived from Vancouver in late January, Cuylle was most successful in his third role early this season with Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kako.
But in Mirror, where he began his 13-year NHL career, Quill finds comfort in the line between veterans Miller and Mika Zibanejad, and Rangers like what they see.
The 60th pick in the 2020 draft was bigger with another key play on Monday in the first period. The Rangers called Manuman's penalties twice, making them the second-highest nine in the league for a brutal season.
While the islanders were playing a power play, Noah Dobson knocked on Quill, flying him backwards, unable to seize ownership.
Despite the blow, Quill was able to thrust the puck into the neutral zone for Sam Carrick to gather.
The center then led the shorthanded charge to the goal and dropped the puck for Will Borgen.
“It was a loose pack. I was trying to thrust it by him, so I tried to take it myself,” Quill said after the victory. “It was a shorthand note so I didn't think he would attack me. …Obviously, there Sam read it and those two guys took care of the rest.”
“He was really good. That means his speed, his physicality and the fact that he's lacking in attacks all year round,” Rabiolet said of Quill. “He's a big part of the penalty kills now, so his role continues to expand and he's growing into it. He certainly influenced the game tonight, got hits and got plays… it's a really, really strong game.”
On Monday night, the Rangers led 12-5 in a shot attempt with Quil Miller on the ice, 5-5 for nearly 11 minutes, per natural statistical trick. Cuylle also had his seventh multipoint game of the season (one goal and one assist).
The line has played nearly 42 minutes in each of Miller's 11 games, leading the shot attempt (40) with shots (38). Within the same range, Quill has four goals and two assists with six points.
“It was a really good opportunity for me,” Quill said. “I think each game will be getting more and more comfortable. …We feel like we're now a bit more feeding each other well, usually getting the top line of other teams and trying to shut them down as much as we can. So I think we're all engaged a little more than usual throughout the game. I think it's been good lately. We're continuing to try and improve all of our games.”
The chemistry of the line is important for the Rangers on Wednesday, facing the Oriental-leading capital, and will likely serve as the biggest test of the line.
