Rangers’ depth saves scuffling stars again with Alex Wennberg’s Game 3 heroics
NY Post
SUNRISE, Fla. — The through line all playoffs for the Rangers’ third line — and the through line since being acquired at the trade deadline for Alex Wennberg — was that the analytics said a lot of good things and the actual on-ice results didn’t say much at all.
Not anymore.
Wennberg, whom the Rangers sent a second-round pick along with a 2025 fifth-rounder to Seattle to obtain in early March, broke a scoring drought that dated all the way back to March 19 at the best possible time for the Rangers on Sunday evening.
With the Rangers having let a two-goal lead go to waste and spending much of the third period under siege, Game 3 of these Eastern Conference Final felt like it was going the wrong way until Wennberg got free off a faceoff and set himself up in front of the net.
He tipped in Ryan Lindgren’s shot to steal a 5-4 victory for the Rangers in overtime and a 2-1 lead in the series with it.
“I feel like this is a team that it doesn’t matter who’s the hero, doesn’t matter who does it,” Wennberg said. “We’re all playing for one another. Maybe I haven’t put up the similar points but as a team, everything we do together and we have an end goal. So obviously it’s a great feeling, good for the confidence but I’m just happy about the team.”
Michael Pittman Jr. has a gut feeling.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Toumani Camara had career highs of nine 3-pointers and 35 points to help Portland beat the Brooklyn Nets 134-99 on Monday night, the Trail Blazers’ largest margin of victory this season.
The Rangers hit the mark with their on-ice ceremony honoring Mika Zibanejad ahead of his 1,000th NHL game Monday night.
PORT ST. LUCIE — For now, Craig Kimbrel is choosing Mets purgatory.
‘Freak of nature: Zion Williamson’s resurgence could pose a Knicks problem versus motivated Pelicans
Zion Williamson is slimmer and healthier for his trip to MSG.
Don’t blame Mikal Bridges for his paltry stats. Blame the role.
Almost a year to the day after a goaltender interference call against Kyle Palmieri lost the Islanders a game against the Blue Jackets that started their season’s death spiral, they were on the wrong end of another controversial call against those same Blue Jackets that might have had the same effect.
On the Queens side of town, the reno began in earnest almost as soon as Francisco Lindor grounded into the 4-6-3 double play. That ended a 4-0 loss before a rare sizable crowd at Miami’s loanDepot Park last Sept. 27, all of them there to witness the final death rattles of an epic baseball calamity.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being paid handsomely for his breakout season.
Next comes the harder part. Mostly because it can’t get any easier.
It was Kids Day at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but for the Rangers, it’s been All About The Kids for months.
PORT ST. LUCIE — From the moment he was told he needed surgery on his left hamate bone, Francisco Lindor fixated on the recovery time. Trainers provided the Mets shortstop a six-week pathway to return to play, and Lindor was determined to hit every marker.
Dylan Garand knew the number off the top of his head. He knew that, between the regular season and playoffs, he’d logged over 160 games with AHL Hartford, and he was right. Before the Rangers recalled him Friday, Garand had served as the Wolf Pack’s goaltender 165 times.