The Rangers and Kings were scoreless early in the second period Sunday night at the Garden when Los Angeles forward Trevor Moore got the puck in prime position to make a move at the side of the home team’s net.
Just as Moore flipped the puck to his backhand to put it on goal … BOOM.
Blueshirts captain Jacob Trouba’s stick knocked it away and his body knocked Moore to the ice.
The scoring chance was thwarted and the Rangers eventually struck first on the power play, getting a goal from Mika Zibanejad, en route to their 4-1 win.
It was a turning point generated by a player who has been chock-full of such plays this season.
“I think Jake has been unbelievable the entire year,” head coach Peter Laviolette said after the victory, which snapped a two-game skid. “Even [Saturday night] when I don’t think we were nearly on point. I thought that he was trying to play his game and, you know, show why he’s the captain of the team. I did think that his game was trying to get us pointed in the right direction. It didn’t happen, but that for me, it’s been consistent the entire year.
“He’s moving the puck well. He’s creating offense. He’s physical. He’s blocking shots. He plays against the other team’s best players. He does it so — I don’t want to say easy because it’s not easy — but he just goes about his business. He’s done it consistently.”
While the Rangers have worked through some defensive issues the past few games, the Trouba-K’Andre Miller duo has been pretty sound this season.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Trouba and Miller have posted the fifth lowest goals-against per 60 rate at 2.06 among D pairs with at least 350 minutes logged.
And they are ranked fifth in the NHL in ice time amongst D pairs at 407:25.
Trouba is not only ranked second in the league among defensemen in blocks with 85, but the 29-year-old is also tied for sixth with the Kings’ Andreas England and the Sharks’ Kyle Burroughs in hits with 57.
Jimmy Vesey notched another game-winning goal Sunday night, marking the 26th of his career.
A whopping 29 percent of his 89 career goals have been game-winning goals.
The Rangers sported their third jerseys against the Kings for the first of 10 times this season.
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