WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Just when it appeared the Rangers were about to be run out of town, Ryan Callahan picked them up, put them on his shoulders and carried them home, two points closer to clinching home ice, two points closer to nailing down conference and division titles.
The man who wears the “C” was a sight to see in delivering a tour de force that started with a shorthanded goal he created with indefatigable work behind the net at 7:44 of the second that brought the Rangers back to within 2-1 and didn’t end until the Rangers had sealed their fifth victory in their last six games, 4-2 over the Jets last night.
“We watch the game just like you do and when Cally puts on a performance like that, it inspires the rest of us and gives us an extra spark,” Derek Stepan said after the Rangers dominated the final 33 minutes of the match. “But it’s not like this was an exception. He’s been doing that for us all year.
“It’s why he has the ‘C’ on his shoulder. It’s why we respect him and look up to him.”
Last night’s performance may not have been an exception, but it was exceptional. There were the battles Callahan won before Michael Del Zotto banged in the goal that got the ball rolling. There was the shift of 2:05 midway through the period during which he played with two sets of linemates before hopping over the boards soon after with a third combination.
There was the gorgeous power play goal from in front at 18:23 of the second that tied the score. There were four shots, four blocks and two hits in a game-high 27:20 during which he played 10:03 of the second.
“There’s so much on the line, it’s pretty easy to have energy at this time of year,” said Callahan, whose team extended its lead to five points over the Penguins, who pick up their game in hand tonight at the Coliseum against the Islanders. “I thought that when we scored on the penalty kill, we took the game over.”
The Rangers already had killed four penalties — including a Winnipeg 1:44 two-man advantage midway through the first — when the Jets were awarded their fifth advantage at 6:35 of the second.
By that time the Jets not only were up 2-0 on goals 54 seconds apart scored by Spencer Machacek and Bryan Little early in the second, they had outshot the Rangers 17-4. But from the moment Callahan went to work through the 3:07 mark of the third when Brian Boyle scored for a 3-2 lead, the Rangers outshot the Jets 18-2.
“You could feel everything turn around when we scored that shorthanded goal,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who was in complete command throughout in his season-high seventh straight start. “We played the way we want to play after that,” he said. “We were aggressive and that made it difficult for them to get chances against us.
“And what can you say about Cally except to say he has been doing that all year?”
The Rangers — who also are tied with the Western-Conference leading Blues with 105 points for the NHL’s best record but have the edge because of one more non-shootout victory — were strong on the forecheck and hard on the puck. They put the game away on a Stepan power play goal at 10:06 of the third following 1:20 of offensive zone dominance with the man advantage. They were relentless.
Just like their captain, who carried the Rangers home. Or at least to the airport for their flight back to New York.