Preview: Rangers Road Trip Gets Underway in Winnipeg

RANGERS at JETS, 8 p.m.MSG, 98.7 FM
In a way, Jimmy Vesey's play during the Rangers' just-completed five-game homestand was a little like the homestand itself: deserving of better numbers but finishing with a bang.
Vesey scored the tiebreaking goal that held up as the game-winner against the Maple Leafs on Sunday night, a play his coach termed a "big-time goal" for the scorer's touch it required, and one that the Rangers are hoping will become a springboard for their 25-year-old winger. In fact, Vesey - moving up in the lineup and seeing his ice time increase in each of the five home games - played well enough during the homestand that David Quinn wondered on Monday if his winger wouldn't be kicking himself over one or two of the other chances he generated but couldn't put away.
He was. But only a little bit.
"I thought coming out of break I had a good game against Philadelphia, then slipped for a couple, but as of late I feel like I'm playing good hockey and the chances are starting to come," Vesey said on Monday following the Blueshirts' practice session in Westchester. "It was a nice feeling to get that goal (Sunday) night. But I had some other looks that I maybe should have cashed in. (Sunday) night and Carolina. And Boston."

The kicking is no cause for concern for the Rangers' head coach. His Blueshirts took points in three of the last four games of the homestand (2-1-1), and are 6-3-1 over their last 10 games bridging the All-Star break as they embark now upon a string of four straight road games, beginning on Tuesday night in Winnipeg. Quinn spoke on Monday about how he likes the way his team's game has come along recently, even in a couple games they didn't win, and lately Vesey's play is becoming a big reason why.
"I think he's back to playing probably as well as he was early in the year, or even better. I really like his game right now," Quinn said. "I think he's playing with an edge to his game without being crazy, I think he's playing with a pace, I think there's a hardness around pucks.
"Unbelievable goal (Sunday) night. Not many guys in the league can score that type of goal. I think he's playing with some of confidence, and I think there's a lot of good in his game right now."

The goal on Sunday came on a rush just as a Ranger penalty was expiring. Chris Kreider rifled a pass across to him at the right circle; Vesey collected it, and with a flick of the wrists tucked it into the top netting behind Toronto's Garret Sparks. It was Vesey's 12th goal this season, which puts him on a career-high pace - but with the opportunity to play alongside his good friend Kevin Hayes, not to mention the ice time available with the Rangers dressing 11 forwards in two of the last four games, Vesey feels the chance is there for more.
"Getting bumped up with Haysie, it's good to play with a guy of his skill level, and he sees the ice so well that it's easy to play with him," Vesey said. "And obviously I'm very familiar with him, so I think the chemistry is there and I think that's been a part of me starting to get more chances."
Quinn moved Vesey onto Hayes' left to start the third period against Boston on Wednesday; the Rangers scored twice to tie the Bruins in that period, the first one set up by Vesey and scored by Hayes, before winning in a shootout. Vesey has stayed put since, and over the past two games Quinn has sent him out for 17½ minutes per game, close to two minutes above his season average.
After the goal, "I thought he continued to play well throughout the game - he had some great chances after that, too," the coach said. "He's a really good player and sometimes he's got to convince himself of that. And I know sometimes you think, 'Well why do you put him on the fourth line?' When you do those things you've got to take the time to explain it and walk him through it; that's been done, and I just love the way he's responded."
"To be honest, I think I've done a better job this year than in the past, I've been a little more consistent," Vesey said of tackling spikes and dips in confidence. "But with 82 games, it's such a long season that everyone has ups and downs. I just have to try to, when I'm in a down period I've got to try to stay even-keeled and make sure it's not something that turns into five games, or 10 games. I've got to square myself away quicker and get back at it.
"It was a good feeling, especially to score in that fashion - it was a great play all around, great pass, and luckily it went under the bar," he said of the goal, set up by Kreider and Ryan Strome. "But it was huge for confidence, and I think it was big for me."
On the subject of Vesey's ice time, he saw his career-high total back on Dec. 2 at the Garden against the Jets, when he led all Ranger forwards with 23:51. Winnipeg staged a three-goal comeback in the third period in that one, before the Rangers fell in a shootout. Quinn came away from that game impressed with the Jets, currently the Central Division leaders, but also believes his Rangers are a better team now than they were then.
What specifically impressed him? "Everything," he said. "They didn't seem to have a hole. They were big, they were fast, their puck movement was outstanding, their puck support was good. There's working hard without it and there's working hard with the puck - they do both. There's an efficiency to their game that has allows them to have the success they've had.
"That being said … there were a lot of things we weren't doing that we're doing better now that they really didn't have anything to do with. I think some of our problems were caused by them, but there were a lot of problems that we were causing on our own. So if we can eliminate those problems, we'll have a much better showing."
The coach added: "Although I'd love to get up 3-0 again on 'em."
"That was a game that we had in our hands and we let it slip because we sat back in the third period. They have way too much skill, way too many guys that can hurt you when you don't pressure them and you give them time and space," said Kevin Shattenkirk. "We've got to make sure we're trying to answer them with physicality and just being aggressive all over the ice. They're a big strong team and they like to hang around the netfront; we have to make sure that we're ready to meet them there."
The Jets' 3-1 win in Buffalo on Sunday afternoon halted their first three-game losing streak of the season, during which they were outscored 13-6. Prior to that skid, Winnipeg had outscored opponents 51-31 in winning nine out of 12 games. Mark Scheifele (28 goals) and Blake Wheeler (67 points) pace the Jets, who open up a three-game homestand on Tuesday.
Quinn had said prior to the Toronto game that Henrik Lundqvist was lined up for this start after Alexandar Georgiev faced the Maple Leafs - and stopped 55 shots, a Garden record for a Rangers goaltender.
"We've just got to be focused on Winnipeg. You've just got to continue to build on the way we've been playing," Quinn said on Monday. "I don't think our last five games the record has been indicative of the way we've played, I think we've played better than that.
"But we're certainly happy with the development we've made, the progress we've made, and we're continuing to stick through the process that we've all committed to - we think we can win through that, and we're not going to waver."

LINEUP LAST TIME OUT

20 Kreider - 93 Zibanejad - 36 Zuccarello
26 Vesey - 13 Hayes - 89 Buchnevich
72 Chytil - 16 Strome - 90 Namestnikov
24 Nieves - 17 Fast
18 Staal - 77 DeAngelo/44 Pionk
76 Skjei - 54 McQuaid
42 Smith - 22 Shattenkirk
40 Georgiev
30 Lundqvist* Will start in Winnipeg

NUMBERS GAME

Mika Zibanejad's first-period goal on Sunday was his 23rd of the season and 11th in the last 10 games. Since Jan. 15, his 11 goals lead the NHL, and he is tied for the league lead with 17 points; also since that date, Mats Zuccarello is tied for the NHL lead in assists with 12.
Since the Jets relocated for the 2011-12 season, the Rangers are 6-2 in Winnipeg, including last season's 3-1 win on Feb. 11 behind Henrik Lundqvist's 37 saves and Jimmy Vesey's winner with 3:53 left.
Patrik Laine, second in the league last season with 44 goals, has scored 25 times this year but only two have come over his last 24 games, and none in the last 11.
Only Tampa Bay has a better home-ice record than the Jets, who are 20-6-3 at Bell MTS Place.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ryan Strome, the only Ranger to have faced the Jets twice this season (he helped the Oilers to a 5-4 win on Oct. 16 in Winnipeg), has 10 points (3-7-10) in 12 career games against the Jets.
Blake Wheeler has points in 41 of the Jets' 56 games this season, including three goals in the last five games, and stands second in the league in assists (55) and eighth in points (67). The Jets are 33-7-1 when Wheeler makes the scoresheet, 2-11-2 when he does not.

WHADDYA SAY?

"That confidence is building. From the Islander game to the Bruins game to this one (vs. Toronto), you've seen his development, and you've seen him play with more confidence. Twenty-three years old isn't young in this league anymore, but it is certainly young for a goalie; I think that position I unique. If you're a really good 23-year-old defenseman or forward, nobody really blinks. But that position, that's pretty young to be in this league, and to be able to make the progress he's made, and put on a performance like he did last night." - David Quinn on Alexandar Georgiev, who made 55 saves in a win over the Maple Leafs on Sunday
"I'm very grateful for that. I'll save it, maybe frame it." - Georgiev on Henrik Lundqvist retrieving the game puck for him at the end of Sunday's win