That’s it for Matt Puempel and the Rangers. The Blueshirts traded the 24-year-old winger to the Red Wings on Saturday in exchange for defenseman Ryan Sproul.
Sproul, 24, is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound righty who has 28 games of NHL experience and 220 games in the AHL. The native of Mississauga, Ontario, was Detroit’s second-round pick (No. 55 overall) in the 2011 draft and had one goal and three assists in five games this season for AHL Grand Rapids. He was selected to the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2013-14, when he had 11 goals and 32 points in 72 games.
The Rangers had acquired Puempel in November of last season when they claimed him off waivers from the Senators. He played 27 games for the Blueshirts, the highlight of his six goals and nine points being his hat trick in Arizona on Dec. 29. After not making the team out of training camp this season, he was sent to AHL Hartford, where he had one goal and two assists in five games.
The Rangers penalty kill was terrific in denying the Predators on all five of their power plays en route to the Rangers’ 4-2 win on Saturday afternoon at the Garden.
“Penalty kill is a big part of the game,” said Kevin Hayes, whose strong game included a goal, an assist, and 2:51 of his 16:55 of ice time on the penalty kill. “You can’t let up power-play goals, and we take pride in that. Think we have three pretty good duos up front and when you can shut down the other team’s power play, you always give yourself a chance to win.”
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The Rangers came in having given up eight power-play goals on 30 chances (73.3 percent), putting them in the bottom five in the league. But against the dangerous Nashville unit that was 8-for-30 (26.7 percent), they were stout.
“We’re pretty aggressive out there and I like that,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said of the penalty kill. “For me, just trying to come up with that extra save.”
Vigneault dressed seven defenseman and 11 forwards for the second time this season, with blueliner Anthony DeAngelo getting 4:12 of his 5:20 of ice time on the power play.
“With 11 forwards, some guys are getting a little more ice time,” Vigneault said, who mostly rotated Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller as the fourth-line center between Michael Grabner and Pavel Buchnevich. “Keeping Anthony for the power play, to have that right-handed shot.”
Paul Carey and Adam Cracknell were healthy scratches up front, and Steven Kampfer was the defenseman scratched.
Captain Ryan McDonagh got his fifth defensive partner of the season, playing alongside Brendan Smith.
“We both talk a lot on the ice, really help each other out,” McDonagh said. “I think our main focus is being solid in our end and having things happen off of that.”
“We both talk a lot on the ice, really help each other out,” McDonagh said. “I think our main focus is being solid in our end and having things happen off of that.”