No team can rely on the first line to score every goal or set up every opportunity in every game. The New York Rangers know that after a dreadful Canadian road trip last week.
And to prove the value of secondary scoring, the Rangers’ Tony DeAngelo potted a hat trick and added two assists in a 6-3 win over the visiting New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Tony DeAngelo scored a hat trick and added two assists in win over Devils – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
“My [NHL] career high was two [points in a game] going into tonight,” DeAngelo said. “I had a decent amount of two-point games, but three in the first and two in the second, that part is pretty cool. But obviously it was really good to get a win too. The goals were big for us.”
And the added benefit of the defense scoring only helps.
“He’s had a pretty special season in a lot of ways,” Rangers head coach David Quinn said. “Obviously he has a unique skillset. His vision is uncanny. He’s as good a passer as I’ve been around. He just had it all going tonight.”
Igor Shesterkin made 46 saves for his second win in two NHL starts.
“He was really good, and we needed him to be,” Quinn said.
Damon Severson, Kevin Rooney and Blake Coleman scored for the Devils.
“Defensively it has to get better, simple as that,” Devils coach Alain Nasreddine said. “It’s not just in our own zone, there were a couple goals that started from their zone from missed assignments or not fully committed to playing the system, breakdowns. … There’s got to be a better commitment to defense.”
Artemi Panarin picked up three points with a goal and has 61 points on the season.
“I told [Kreider] we’d give it a shot there just because of the way they were playing, they were trying to take away [Panarin],” DeAngelo said. “I thought we could catch them and fortunately it took a real good bounce and he made a great finish.”
Chris Kreider scored off a set play on the power play when DeAngelo fired a pass from the defensive zone off the Devils back boards where Kreider beat everyone to the puck and negate an icing; he took the puck neatly tucked in the net after dragging it across the crease.
“It’s nice to see [DeAngelo] get rewarded,” Ryan Strome said. “I know he works real hard and sometimes defenseman is a tough position to get rewarded, but I mean five points and a hat trick, he’s kicking the feet up tonight.”
Jesper Fast added a goal off a 2-on-1 rush.
[WATCH:Â All Devils vs. Rangers highlights]
Mackenzie Blackwood got the start for the Devils and yielded five goals and made 20 saves before getting the hook late in the middle frame.
“Way too many Grade A chances against,” Coleman said. “We’re certainly generating a lot more offense than we were. We had a lot of good opportunities to score goals. Obviously they had some pretty solid goaltending, but at the same time three in this league should be enough to at least be in the game.”
Louis Domingue made 11 saves and surrendered one goal.
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