Toronto lost. Montreal lost. Two good results for a Rangers squad looking for a playoff berth … but one integral piece of the puzzle tonight refused to fall into place: the Rangers couldn’t seal the victory. The Thrashers won in overtime, keeping the Blueshirts one point out of the 8th and final slot.
Tonight was one of those games where finding fault with the Rangers’ play would be nearly impossible. They played hungry. They played like a team determined to make it to the playoffs. With a number of young players up from Hartford, the team looked replenished and equipped to mount the challenge before them. Unfortunately for the Rangers, Johan Hedberg put in an outstanding performance between the pipes for the Thrashers. Though Henrik Lundqvist put in another great performance, his brilliant play could not carry the team. With a bad penalty taken by Matt Cullen in OT, despite the forward’s stellar play throughout the contest, the Rangers were faced with the Thrashers’ potent offensive onslaught. Though Marion Hossa was on the ice, the winning goal came off the stick of Alexei Zhitnik. His strike was aided by the bodies of Keith Tkachuk and the two Ranger defensemen, all of whom screened Lundqvist on the play.
Again, however, good things are happening for the Rangers. The race for the playoffs is still on and their position is not in jeopardy. They’ve benefited greatly in the standings from losses by their rivals. Yet, without definitive wins, the Rangers will not advance … and they can’t rely solely on the good fortune that’s come in the form of losses for those teams also vying for the final berth.