Vitali Kravtsov made his NHL debut Saturday night in Buffalo, another piece of the Rangers’ rebuilding puzzle slipping into place.
Artemi Panarin, who signed the biggest contract in the franchise’s history less than two years ago to speed up reconstruction, showed the long-awaited prospect of doing so, scoring two goals.
But a Sabers goal from the third period for the second game in a row equalized the score and Kravtsov’s debut was pampered as the Rangers lost 3-2 in a shootout – Sabers’ second win in three games after a loss. 18 stripe games.
The Rangers had a slim one-goal lead with 3:41 left in regulation when Victor Olofsson equalized 2-2, sending both teams to overtime again after playing the extra period on Thursday (which ended in a 1-0 win). 3-2 the Rangers).
After both teams failed to score in the extra session, the Rangers failed to score in the shots against Linus Ullmak. Meanwhile, Sabers Tage Thompson scored Igor Shesterkin to give Buffalo the victory.
Despite the loss, Kravtsovv’s debut has given the Rangers youth movement a new addition, and the range now has five of the Blueshirts’ first-round picks in the last four NHL drafts: Filip Chytil in 2017, K’Andre Miller and Kravtsov in 2018, Kaapo Kakko from 2019 and Alexis Lafreniere from 2020.
Kravtsov entered the Rangers’ third line, bringing a whole new meaning to what was commonly called the child’s line. Along with Lafreniere (19) and Chytil (21), the 21-year-old wing recorded ice at 10:45, with three shots on goal.
The average age of the active list of Rangers is now 25.2 years. Does it really have to be pointed out that they have the youngest team in the league?
Not every NHL debut can be special, but Kravtsov’s presence has done that for the Rangers. And when he almost won the game with a diving shot shortly after the Saber game number, it was almost a dream debut. After Kravtsov’s five-game cameo in the preseason last year, in which he scored a goal and an assist, the Russian native has now shown that he is ready for the NHL.
The Rangers, after a hyperactive start to the first period, slowed things down in the power play when striker Sabers Taylor Hall entered the box for intervention. Panarin scored Rangers’ first goal for the man in the last two games, with a sharp angle shot that deflected in front of Ullmark for a 1-0 lead.
But Casey Mittelstadt equalized less than three minutes later, turning a 2-on-1 with a mischievous wrist that defeated Shesterkin.
The Sabers held the lead for a majority of the second period, maintaining possession in their offensive zone after the Rangers took penalties back in the back. Shesterkin kept the Rangers, setting aside all 10 shots on goal in the center.
While Shesterkin stood, the Rangers gave the ice title after Panarin scored his second goal of the night, lifting the puck once over Ullmark, with just over two minutes left in the second period to take the lead. The Sabers caused the offside, but lost and were forced to go to the penalty shootout to end the period.
Jacob Trouba almost gave the Rangers a 3-1 score to advance to the third, but time expired before the defender introduced the puck.