Rick Nash had a goal and two assists last night ending a streak of three games in which he was scoreless and a minus three.
Nash only had one shot last night, he had 10 total in the previous two games, but had the game winner on the power play in the first period.
John Tortorella was asked about Nash last night and said on MSG that he has played well all year, “does everything” and needs to be involved, and usually is, when the team needs two or three goals to win a game.
In the NY Post, Larry Brooks writes that the while Nash has been the least of the Rangers problems this season, he needs to carry the Rangers night in and night out.
Nash told Brooks that he puts a lot of pressure on himself to perform but says that there are no excuses for not playing well, “you have to be at your best every night.”
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rick Nash is in the middle of a career high ten game point scoring streak. Throughout his time with Columbus, Nash had points in nine straight games on three different occasions.
Nash has seven goals and nine assists in the ten game streak and, in the six games since he returned from injury, has six goals and five assists.
Watch all of Nash’s points during the streak, below:
On Tuesday night against the Bruins, Rick Nash provided the “assist of the year,” according to James Duthie of TSN, when he set up Carl Hagelin to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, his colleague at TSN, Darren Pang let out a “holy jumpin!” when he saw the move Nash made.
LeBrun said that the move was “simply out of this world.”
In describing this move, Rick Nash told the Daily News that he felt he had a step on Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference and when he realized he didn’t he cut back, slipped the pick through Ferences legs. Nash was then tripped up and said that he knew he didn’t have a chance for a clean shot, but spotted Hagelin out of the corner of his eye and made the pass to him as he was almost flat on the ice.
See the video of the goal HERE and two versions of it animated HERE.
In the shootout, Bruins announcer Andy Brickley said that Nash reminded him of Mario Lemieux.
A former teammate of Lemiuex’s agrees with the comparison.
Ron Duguay, who played with Lemiuex for parts of two seasons in the mid-80s said of Nash, “he reminds me of Mario. I played with Mario. I was amazed how a guy like that can be so calm with the puck. Nash is a skill player. He thinks about how he is going to beat you. He does all of these things in practice so that when it comes to game time, it’s show time.”
In the NY Post, Larry Brooks writes that while Rick Nash may be off a to a disappointing statistical start to his season, the effort he brings to the Rangers every night makes him worth every penny of his cap hit of $7.8 million.
Brooks writes, “if it is clear we’ve yet to see the full kaleidoscope of Nash’s imposing game, it is equally clear that lack of production hasn’t been for a lack of trying. The winger has been involved, he has been on the puck, he has been recording shots at a rate historically consistent with his first nine years in the NHL and he has been defensively responsible.”
John Tortorella said before the game on Sunday that Nash was the leader in offensive chances and opportunities for the Rangers even though he only had two goals coming into the game.
Nash scored his third goal of the season last night, and added an assist on the Rangers first goal, for his first points in two games.
At Rangers Report, Carp writes “speaking of Nash … How about the power move and shot on Hagelin’s first goal? How about the shot on his own goal? How about some of the plays he made in the defensive zone, and some of the plays he made in the neutral zone? Complete player playing a complete game. The goals will come. They will.”
Nash also told Brooks that he enjoys playing in a system that preaches defensive responsibility and that it is “right up my alley.”
Nash has three goals on 44 shots which gives him a shooting percentage of 6.8% on the season. He is averaging 21 minutes per night.
