The experience was the key difference as the New York Rangers leveraged their playoff poise and Igor Shesterkin’s stellar goaltending to overpower the young New Jersey Devils 5-1 in Game 1 of their first-round series on Tuesday night.
Shesterkin was outstanding, stopping 27 shots, while Chris Kreider netted two power-play goals to help the Rangers take control of the series. Playing in their first playoff matchup against the Rangers since 2012, the Devils struggled to keep up in their postseason opener, rattled by nerves and jitters.
“He’s been our best player,” Kreider said of Shesterkin. “He’s playing with so much confidence, and it boosts us all.”
The Rangers looked sharp from the opening puck drop, while the Devils, with six players making their playoff debuts and others with limited postseason experience, were visibly shaky. Devils coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged that inexperience affected his team’s performance.
“Our guys were jittery early,” Ruff said. “It’s part of the playoff learning curve. Now they know what that intensity feels like.”
Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Lindgren, and Filip Chytil also found the back of the net for the Rangers. Adam Fox contributed four assists, and Artemi Panarin added two in a dominant display by New York. The Devils, who enjoyed a record-breaking regular season with 112 points and 52 wins, struggled to get their fast-paced rush game going and were often stifled by blocked shots and Shesterkin’s saves.
New Jersey’s lone goal came late in the game, a penalty shot by Jack Hughes with 2:46 left in regulation. Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek made 18 saves.
“We had a lot of blocked shots and guys committed to playing defense,” said Fox. “It was a great team effort.”
Special teams were a major factor in the game. The Rangers capitalized on two of three power-play opportunities, with Kreider leading the charge. Meanwhile, the Devils went 0-for-4 on the power play and struggled to create chances, not managing a single shot on goal during their man-advantage situations.
“We couldn’t capitalize on our power plays, which hurt us,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “It’s frustrating, but we’ve got to move forward.”
The Rangers set the tone early in the first period, using physicality and smart puck movement to seize momentum. Tarasenko, acquired from St. Louis before the trade deadline, opened the scoring just under five minutes into the game, taking advantage of a pass from K’Andre Miller.
Kreider doubled the lead with a tip-in on the power play, and Lindgren added a third goal late in the second period. Kreider struck again early in the third with another tip-in, making it 4-0 before Hughes finally broke through for the Devils on his penalty shot.
Chytil sealed the victory with an empty-net goal, as the Rangers secured an emphatic win.
Game Notes:
- Adam Fox’s four assists tied his career postseason high, which he had previously achieved against Pittsburgh last year.
- Kreider became the Rangers’ all-time leader in playoff goals, surpassing Rod Gilbert with his 36th career postseason goal. His power-play goals also moved him ahead of Adam Graves for the most in Rangers’ playoff history.
- Devils rookie defenseman Luke Hughes, Jack Hughes’ younger brother, was a healthy scratch for the game. After signing out of college, he played in the final two games of the regular season.
- Akira Schmid served as the Devils’ backup goaltender instead of veteran Mackenzie Blackwood.
- The Rangers didn’t register a shot in the second period until Vanecek gloved Artemi Panarin’s attempt with 11:08 remaining in the period.
Game 2 of the series is set for Thursday night in New Jersey.
