From serving as a healthy scratch in two of the first three games of the season to a lineup staple, Jimmy Vesey has had the comeback story of the Rangers season.
The 30-year-old wing scored the game-winner in the Blueshirts’ 3-2 win over the Red Wings on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, batting a loose puck out of midair with 4:15 left in regulation for his fifth goal of the season.
After starting the 2023-24 campaign as the 13th forward, Vesey has steadily ramped up his game as the season has progressed.
He’s been particularly effective in the last handful of games, generating offensive opportunities and making noticeable plays despite skating on the fourth line.
Vesey has brought skill to a physical unit.
His aggression in pursuit of the puck has made the fourth unit effective on the forecheck. And with four goals in the last seven contests, Vesey has begun chipping in on offense in a big way.
“Belief never wavered,” Vesey told The Post while reflecting back to the start of the season. “But I think it can and may have. You come out of the lineup and then you go back in, you’re just trying to almost not make mistakes. I think I had to get over that after a few games. It’s all coming out now.”
Acknowledging that he was looking for one game or one goal to grab onto and build off, Vesey noted that it helped that his line, with Barclay Goodrow and Tyler Pitlick, has been playing well.
He admitted to being too tense with the puck earlier in the season, but now he feels himself starting to make more plays.
“I said it at the time, he didn’t deserve to be scratched,” head coach Peter Laviolette said of Vesey, who also replaced Will Cuylle on the Rangers’ second power-play unit, which also featured Jonny Brodzinski, Alexis Lafreniere, Blake Wheeler and K’Andre Miller. “He’s a player that we count on and depend on for a lot of different things. Right now, he seems to be in a little bit of a groove. He’s playing really well.
“Works hard every day and nobody likes when that happens on Day 1. Took the right road, worked hard and got himself back in to the point where now he can’t come out of the lineup.”
The Rangers will be off on Thursday before they return to practice on Friday.
They will then venture to Nashville to play the Predators on Saturday.