New York Rangers coach praised Jonathan Quick‘s performance, and the veteran goalie explained the key to the team’s continued winning ways.
Quick Could Be Key Down the Stretch
The New Yorkers are going through a tough time, to say the least, There are ample possibilities of being left out of the upcoming playoffs. Of course, it’s too early to say for sure.
The reality is that the Rangers have lost three of their last five games. As a result, head coach Peter Laviolette‘s decision-making has left a lot to be desired.
At crucial moments, when they have to put more pressure on their opponents, we have seen the Rangers wait in the back and offer little or nothing on offense.
In the midst of this sporting crisis, there are, however, some positive aspects that we can highlight, especially in terms of individuals within the team.
In fact, after the 6-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, Laviolette made reference to one of the most outstanding players of that game, referring to his professionalism and high performance when his team needed it.
NY Rangers Coach Laviolette praises Jonathan Quick
Specifically, the player who drew applause from Laviolette was 39-year-old goalie Jonathan Quick. Quick recorded a 95.50% save percentage. He stopped 21 of 22 San Jose shots on goal.
“To watch him jump in like that, that’s him, he’s a pro (…) He’s been doing it his whole career, but to jump in and give us an effort like he did tonight, I thought was really good.”
What’s also curious is that the veteran goalkeeper hadn’t played in three weeks, when the Rangers lost 7-3 to Columbus. However, last Saturday, Laviolette decided to give him another chance. He lived up not only to expectations but also to the team’s needs.
Quick also took an individual achievement after this performance. He became the 13th goalie with the most wins in NHL history (403), equaling Grant Fuhr‘s mark.
After the game against the Sharks, the Rangers are now tied with Montreal (77 points) for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, there are still teams like Detroit and the New York Islanders that are very close. As such, Laviolette’s team must not slow down.
Quick and the Key to Keep the NY Rangers Winning
Quick himself explained the team wins when it doesn’t complicate things and puts pressure on the opposition, defends well, and takes advantage of counterattacks.
Clearly, this is easier in theory than in practice. However, the Rangers have also shown that they have what it takes to advance to the next round.
The specialized portal MoneyPuck gives them a 32.8% chance of advancing to the playoffs.
The New York Rangers’ next game is against the Minnesota Wild.
Main Photo: Robert Edwards- Imagn Images
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