Raanta Shines For Rangers in Shutout

Antti Raanta (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The struggling Rangers needed a boost going into their game against San Jose on Monday night and they got it from a very unlikely source. The Rangers are known for having great goaltending with Henrik Lundqvist, but when he took his first night off of the season it was anyone’s guess how new guy Antti Raanta would play. He laid that concern to rest in pretty spectacular style!

Raanta didn’t just stop the Rangers’ three game losing streak, he stopped all 22 shots the Sharks sent his way. Those saved shots included a lot of tough ones; there were a couple of redirections he stopped brilliantly with his pads, a big pass deflection when Joe Thornton tried to slide a pass through to a wide open teammate on a 5 on 3 power play, and he flashed the leather a couple of times as well.

At one point, Raanta made a save so good that Lundqvist was caught on camera giving Raanta props for it. That’s high praise and it must feel good for the newest Rangers backup goalie.

Raanta’s brilliance in net seemed to inspire his Rangers teammates, as they scored more goals against the Sharks than they did in their previous three games combined!

It’s hoped that Monday’s turnaround will lead to further inspired play when the Rangers skate with the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night.