The New York Rangers won against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the debut game for Eric Staal after his trade from the Carolina Hurricanes. Staal played alongside his brother Marc Staal for the first time and had one shot on goal in the game.
The Rangers won 2-1 against the Blue Jackets after getting goals from Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan. Antti Raanta was in net over Henrik Lundqvist and he had a strong game, recording 26 saves to earn the win. Staal was acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of the trade deadline, and the Rangers are hoping that he can give the team a boost as they try to make a Stanley Cup run.
While Staal did not score during the game, the newest Ranger was part of plenty of action against the Blue Jackets. With time winding down in the third period, Staal was unable to clear the puck out of the Ranger zone, and it almost led to a game-tying goal. The Rangers had a 2-1 lead with less than 10 seconds left in the game, and Staal's play allowed Cam Atkinson to get a shot on net. Raanta made the save, but defenseman Ryan Murray was able to put the puck in for what looked like a last-second goal.
After a replay look, the officials confirmed that the goal was late, giving the Rangers the victory. "It's been a lot of fun coming here and joining this group," said Staal.
The Rangers gave up a top prospect and two draft picks to acquire Staal, who is expected to play on one of the top lines for the team. Staal gives the team some scoring depth, and playing alongside his brother is another exciting thing that the forward gets to do. Staal played for about 16 minutes on Monday night and he could see some extended time moving forward for coach Alain Vigneault.
"Everybody saw the size and puck protection capabilities as he gets more comfortable with the group," Vigneault said.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the game after a goal from Zuccarello, but the Blue Jackets were able to tie things on a score from Atkinson. The Rangers later took a 2-1 lead late in the third period on a goal from Stepan, who made an impressive play after taking a pass from Ryan McDonagh. The short-handed goal gave the team a one-goal lead and they hung on for the win.
The Rangers have now won 13 times in the past 18 games. The team is second in the Metropolitan Division this season with 80 points.
