Rangers’ Penalty Kill Holds Firm Despite Six Infractions
The New York Rangers beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on November 4, killing all six penalties but drawing concern from coach Mike Sullivan over repeated stick infractions.
New York’s penalty kill moved to the top of the NHL rankings after the win, with a 90.4 percent success rate. The Rangers have conceded five goals while short-handed this season, but Sullivan said repeated penalties involving players’ sticks were a concern and needed to be addressed.
The Rangers were penalized three times in the first period, twice in the second and once in the third. Five calls were for stick infractions, including high-sticking, slashing and hooking. Sullivan praised the penalty killers but said the volume of chances against a strong St. Louis power play put too much pressure on them.
Goaltender Dylan Garand stopped 32 shots and came close to recording his second shutout of the season. The Blues’ power play was ranked 10th in the league entering the game.
Forward Matt Rempe also addressed a trade rumor linking him as a possible fit for Edmonton. He said he was focused on earning playing time with the Rangers and would avoid social media chatter. Rempe played 8:29 in his third game of the season after falling out of the team’s fourth-line rotation.
Defenseman Sean Durzi missed a second straight game with an undisclosed injury and remained day to day. Adam Fox had a goal and an assist, giving him 19 points in 16 games, the third-highest total among NHL defensemen.