TAMPA, Fla. — The Rangers were waiting for this moment seven and half games, the moment when Rick Nash no longer teases with his superlative talent, but capitalizes on it, and lets everyone forget about the usefulness of the grinders for whom he was traded.
Last night in the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Nash took on the Lightning’s best defenseman, Victor Hedman, and made a power move around him that was world-class in its grace and momentum-setting in its assertiveness. By skating around Hedman and crashing the puck into the net, Nash gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead early in the third that would turn into a 3-2 win, settling the rising storm that was offensive frustration.
“He’s a big-time player,” coach John Tortorella said. “He’s been on our offense the whole time he’s been here. He’s been around chances the whole time. It’s nice for him to score a goal. You can sense he was getting a little frustrated, and that’s a big-time goal at a very important time for us.”
Nash was acquired this offseason from the Blue Jackets for a forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov, along with prospect defenseman Tim Erixon and a first-round pick. Dubinksy and Anisimov were contributing factors to the team’s run to the Eastern Conference finals last season — but neither of them could pull a move like Nash did.
With the game tied 1-1, Nash took a drop pass from Brad Richards and raced around Hedman, getting his 6-foot-4 frame between the defenseman and the puck and then waited out goalie Mathieu Garon before slipping it by him inside the far post for his second goal the season.
“It always feels good to score,” said Nash, who had a team-high six shots. “Mainly, it was the win that felt the best. We needed this win tonight, and it’s a big win to come down here on the road, play against a team that’s been playing great and get those two points.”
The Lightning came into the game undefeated at home, only had one loss on the season, and were leading the NHL in goals scored. And Tortorella chose to go with backup goalie Martin Biron, who got his first start and did not disappoint.
“They have some great players, they’re fast, and they kept coming,” said Biron, who finished with 30 saves. “But we responded really well by keeping a lot of their guys in their zone.”
The Rangers also responded with a much-needed breakout night from their second line of Taylor Pyatt, Derek Stepan and Carl Hagelin. Stepan scored the tying goal, his first of the season midway through the second period, and Hagelin scored what would be the game-winner, his first of the season as well, with just over five minutes left.
“I thought their line was consistently around the puck, and that’s good news,” Tortorella said. “But I think our whole team was much better in puck protection, on the boards, especially offensively — and we find a way to win a game.”
The biggest reason they did was Nash, the man whom came here with expectations piled on his back, now lightened temporarily because of a performance like this one.
“Any part of the game you want to score,” Nash said, “and at the end of the day, we got the two points and we accomplished what we came out here to do.”