Patrick Kane, Rangers Wow Twitter With Offense in Game 2 Win vs. Devils
April 21, 2023
Once again, the New York Rangers dominated the New Jersey Devils on their home ice.
Chris Kreider scored twice and Patrick Kane registered three points as the Rangers poured on five unanswered goals to rout the host Devils, 5-1, on Thursday in Game 2 of the first round. New York now holds a 2-0 series lead.
If the Devils want to reach the second round for the first time since 2012, they will need to win four of the next five games—and three of those contests will be taking place in Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers are in an enviable position, and their fans know it.
Vladimir Tarasenko opened scoring for the Rangers six minutes into the second period to tie the game at 1-1.
New York picked up Tarasenko and Kane at the trade deadline to be difference-makers in the playoffs. Considering Tarasenko now has two goals in two Rangers playoff contests and Kane had three points in Game 2, that plan seems to be working.
mickey8rangers @mickey8rangers<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYR</a> <br>How are you guys liking the trade deadline trades right now, and this 2-0 series lead?<br><br>I'll say it again. Patrick Kane + Adam Fox together on the powerplay is so incredible to watch. We can be watching the 2 best USA players of all time together when it's all set and done.
x - NYer In NJ @uni_fof84When the guys you traded for to score goals in the playoffs are ACTUALLY scoring goals in the playoffs it's a beautiful thing! 😍🤩 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NOQUITINNY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NOQUITINNY</a>
The ice tilted definitively in the Rangers' direction after Kreider tipped home a pair of passes from Kane on consecutive power plays in the second period. Kreider is now the first player in NHL history to score four power-play goals in his first two games during a playoff year.
It looked like Kreider might start the third period with a hat trick after Kane stripped the puck from Devils defender Jesper Bratt and earned the pair a two-on-one rush, but Kane took the puck to the netfront himself and flipped it over New Jersey goaltender Vitek Vanecek to extend the Rangers' lead to three goals.
Minutes later, Kaapo Kakko blasted the fifth tally past Vanecek, marking the fourth Rangers goal on nine shots. The Rangers are now outscoring the Devils in the series by a 10-2 margin.
The Devils arrive in New York City for a rematch on Saturday. Puck drop is at 8 p.m. ET.
The Rangers will stick with this winning lineup as the Devils prepare to shake up some lines—and make a potentially difficult decision as to who should start in goal—as New Jersey attempts to gain control of this series in Game 3.
