Kaapo Kakko may finally start receiving points in bulk.
But anyone who knows the Finnish winger knows he wants to score goals.
The small but fierce fist pump Kakko gave after scoring the game-winning goal in the Rangers’ 3-1 win over the Stars at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night said it all.
There wasn’t much to celebrate about the 23-year-old’s fifth NHL season. Although he went on injured reserve after 21 games and struggled to make any other appearances, Kakko naturally enjoyed this goal.
It happened during a 4-on-4 play.
It came for a goaltender who was having a strong night.
I was able to take some beautiful shots.
As a result, the Rangers won their eighth win with a one-goal difference, which was within the regulations if they had not scored in the match against the top team in the Central Region, and were able to extend their winning streak to eight games.
And it wasn’t like the Stars had a bad game, losing their third straight on Tuesday night.
The last time the Rangers won eight or more games in a row was in 2015-16.
Goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin deserves a lot of credit for securing the victory.
In this work, he had his garden followers chant his name multiple times.
And when the Rangers caught up late in regulation, it was the Russian netminder who shut down every scoring opportunity for the Stars.
He also made back-to-back saves against Dallas star Tyler Seguin, making saves with the tips of his skates and extending his stick across the goal line.
Shesterkin made 41 saves on 42 shots for his 23rd win of the season.
Both teams squandered power-play chances in the second period, but less than a minute after Jamie Benn tripped Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck tripped Esa Lindell, and seven minutes in. Four-on-four play began at the 44-second mark.
The Stars struggled to get the puck for most of the night, but the Rangers held significant possession and effectively defended their 1-0 lead.
After the home team circled the zone briefly, Kakko slipped the puck past Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood to double the Rangers’ lead and tie his career scoring streak at five games.
Head coach Peter Laviolette said before the game, “This is the best he’s looked.” “For me, he’s moving his feet, creating, playing with some attitude and edge. The line was good, but I think he played a big role in propelling that line. Since his return, he seems to have gotten stronger and stronger in the game.”
But Dallas got the man advantage and Miro Heiskanen hit Shesterkin with one, cutting the Rangers’ lead to 2-1. This happened less than a minute after Kakko’s goal.
In his first game since making his NHL debut in the great outdoors on Sunday, Matt Lempe came out like a wrecking ball.
Rangers had a good first period, taking a 1-0 lead on Adam Fox’s high goal.
Rempe, Adam Edstrom and Barclay Goodrow led the way and accounted for eight of the team’s first 15 hits, including five by Rempe alone.
