The New York Rangers beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 on Thursday night, which marks their third consecutive preseason win.
As opposed to their last preseason victory, the Rangers played a real solid 60 minutes of hockey.
The biggest winner of the night had to be Brennan Othmann.
Othmann is fighting for a roster spot and was in dire need of a strong performance and it’s safe to say that he delivered
The 21-year-old played an aggressive game and that tenacity translated into a highlight-reel type of goal, when he fought to steal the puck from Nikita Zadorov and then scored on a breakaway.
“I felt a lot better than last game,” Othmann said. “I thought that was one of my better games of the three I played in. I felt pretty good, just was confident with the puck. Just want to go out and contribute the way I know how.”
Kaapo Kakko has been a player put under a lot of scrutiny, but he showed what he is truly capable of.
There was a sense of composure when Kakko had the puck on his stick and he seemed to be able to read the game well.
The 2019 second overall pick used his body to his advantage in the offensive zone as well. All of these traits that Kakko put on display were noticed by Peter Laviolette.
“He’s working,” Laviolette said, “You can see he is competing out there… I think Kaaps had a good game tonight.”
With Ryan Lindgren out at least a few weeks, Victor Mancini has a real chance to make the opening night roster.
Mancini provided a reliable physical presence for the Rangers and was a really steady defensive anchor, something the team could use in Lindgren’s absence.
The Rangers are now 3-0 in the preseason with their next game being on Monday night against the New Jersey Devils.
