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Following a game in which the New York Rangers successfully killed all six of their penalties, head coach Mike Sullivan voiced apprehension about the stick infractions his team continues to commit, which have repeatedly challenged the league's top penalty-killing unit. The Blueshirts' 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues elevated their penalty-kill success rate to 90.4 percent, moving them from third to first in the NHL, but they incurred three penalties in the first period, two more in the second, and one in the third—the latter a delay-of-game call on Alberts Smits.
"I thought the kill was good," Sullivan said. "I think it's a little concerning that the type of stick infractions that we're taking game in and game out. That's a conversation we've had in between periods. I gotta think about next steps on that one, but we've gotta do a better job of our responsibility with our sticks."
Goaltender Dylan Garand made 32 saves and came within a minute of his second shutout of the season, delivering crucial stops against a St. Louis power play that entered the night ranked 10th in the NHL. Scott Morrow and J.T. Miller were penalized for high-sticking, while Noah Laba received a slashing call and both Jaroslav Chmelar and Mika Zibanejad were whistled for hooking.
The Rangers' penalty kill has become their hallmark strength early in the season, particularly as their power play continues to develop. They have surrendered only five goals while shorthanded all year. However, all five stick-infraction penalties occurred when the score was tied or the Rangers were protecting a one-goal lead, affording the Blues ample chances to alter the game's momentum.
"It's a lot to ask to have the penalty kill have to kill that many opportunities against a real good power play," Sullivan said, "but I thought those guys that were on it did a terrific job."
Forward Matt Rempe addressed his name surfacing in trade rumors for the first time, which began last week when Sportsnet's Frank Seravalli reported that Oilers head coach Mike Babcock is believed to admire the 6-foot-9 forward and specifically linked Rempe as a potential option for a team seeking to add size. After making the roster out of training camp, Rempe has fallen out of the fourth-line rotation and skated in only his third game of the season on Tuesday.
Rempe said he will avoid social media to steer clear of the chatter and instead concentrate on carving out a role with the team that brought him into the NHL four years ago. "I don't pay attention to that stuff," Rempe told The Post on Monday before logging 8:29 of ice time. "That type of stuff's all out of my control. I'm just focused on here and trying to get better and get in the lineup and make the most of those opportunities."
Defenseman Sean Durzi missed his second consecutive game with an undisclosed injury, prompting Morrow—who logged 13:07—to take his place in the lineup once again. Durzi remains day to day.
With a goal and an assist on Eeli Tolvanen's empty-net tally, Adam Fox now has 19 points through 16 games, ranking third among NHL defensemen in scoring.
Originally reported by headtopics.