The Rangers were lucky to survive the first night without a Buffalo score on Tuesday night, after allowing the Sabers to make their way into the offensive zone and put on shots as if they were fighting for a playoff berth.
Defenseman Brendan Smith opened the scoring for the Rangers at the start of the second round, but Sabers center Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal left it in the middle of 4 seconds.
So with the game on the line in the third period, the Blueshirts had to stop playing another heavy power from the Sabers. This prompted head coach David Quinn to inform Alexis Lafreniere that he would take the next inning in the second line with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin to get new legs on the ice.
The moment before he boarded the boards for the innings that culminated with a game-winning goal by Rangers miscreants, Lafreniere turned to Stommer and boosted his confidence, which recently left the rest of the team Has provoked
“[Lafreniere] We actually said before going in for that innings, ‘We’re going to be one,’ “Stommer said after winning 3–1 on Tuesday.
The 2020 first-overall pick followed his words, taking a pinpoint pass from Stroman and giving the Rangers a 2–1 lead over Sabers netminder Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen while firing a past shot from his knees.
It was Lafreniere’s 10th goal of the season, which led him to seventh place among the rogues in the NHL in goals. He is still in a three-way tie, with Allie Tolleven of the Predators and Ross Coulton of the Lightning, with four being the most game-winning goals among the crooks.
Since switching places with Chris Kreider at the top line next to Mika Jibanezad and Pavel Buchaniewicz to lose 3–2 to the Flyers on April 22, Lafrinier only went into that game without a point. In the last three competitions, the 19-year-old has two goals and two assists.
“I know people were making a big deal about what his stats were earlier in the year, but he just played in his 50th game,” Quinn said on Tuesday. “In a normal season, he will have 32 more games, the way he is playing, he is playing on that line. He is a very good rookie year. With no training camp, no exhibition games, it is difficult for these young players to join the National Hockey League. If they had a three-week training camp with six exhibition games, the start of the season might have been a little different. But I think it speaks for his commitment, his coach-ability, his love for the game.
“This is the thing that really jumps at you when you coach him, how much he loves hockey. He has a contagious personality on top of whatever talent he has. “
Infectious is a term used by many of Lafreniere’s peers to describe him. It is also easy to watch practice through a live stream. The Canadian teen talks to everyone, is incredibly affectionate and never smiles.
Since joining the team Laffrinier has been asked to “lighten up a room”, but it is his development of confidence that has emboldened the Rangers.
“I think I’ve always been the same, I’m just happy when people have good games, when they make great plays,” Lafreniere said earlier this week. “Just sure to be happy here. And the group we have is always a lot of fun. “
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