Postgame takeaways: Rangers sit atop Eastern Conference after OT win over Bruins

BOSTON − Two teams have separated themselves from the pack in the Eastern Conference through the first third of the 2023-24 NHL season.

The Rangers and Bruins each hit the ground running and haven't faltered much, with the Northeast rivals trading places in the No. 1 overall spot a few times already. But as far as the head-to-head meetings go, New York has reigned supreme.

The Blueshirts won the first matchup on Nov. 25, then took the second on Saturday with a hard-nosed 2-1 overtime win at TD Garden.

Vincent Trocheck ensured that by scoring both Rangers' goals − the first one tying the score with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation, then the second ending the game 2:03 into OT. It left them tied with Boston with 43 points and a .741 points percentage, but New York has the edge in total wins (21 vs. 19).

"It's a battle for first place and a really good hockey team over there," Trocheck said. "They play the right way and they were able to limit us to few chances. I’m proud of our guys for sticking with it throughout the whole game."

While last month's showdown produced a high-flying affair that resulted in a 7-4 Rangers’ win, Saturday featured a much more methodical pace with ramped up physicality and stout defense.

Neither team gave the other very much space to work with, which left both offenses scrounging for whatever they could get. The Rangers (21-7-1) mustered a few more opportunities, yet still found themselves in a 1-0 hole for a large chunk of the contest. It tested their patience and will, with their persistence eventually paying off.

"It was a really good hockey game," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "Boston played really well. I thought our guys played really well. It was tight. Give our guys really just a lot of credit for staying with it because it's 1-0 and we're firing shots and we're attacking and attacking, and it's just not going in. We just can't seem to find that first one. We just stayed with it."

In many respects, they found this grind-it-out victory more rewarding than a high-flying skills competition − particularly coming after a short slump last week in which they lost three out of four while allowing 17 combined goals in the losses.

"That's a game that kind of brings the team together," captain Jacob Trouba said. "The last 10 minutes felt almost like a playoff game with just how tight it was. I mean, one mistake and you know it's going to end up in your net. That's a good hockey game. It's fun to play. It’s great for our team. It's something we can kind of build off of after the last week or so where it's been a little bit inconsistent (and) not really getting to the game we love and we want to be known as. I think that's the game. That was our team out there."

They'll play once more on March 21 back here in Boston, with the only chance for anything after that coming in the playoffs.

A close call

The Rangers have prioritized tightening their defense the last few games, with that trend continuing Saturday.

They limited the Bruins to 22 shots on goal, including just five in the first period, and eight high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. They also went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

"We were getting back to our game defensively," Trocheck said. "We were being tough to play against through the neutral zone. We were limiting our turnovers, which was kind of leading to other team's offense in the last few games. It was just getting back to our game like we had been earlier in the year."

One of the few quality looks the Rangers did allow resulted in a controversial goal.

After a low-event first period, Trent Frederic got Boston on the board early in the second. He drove the net hard off a three-on-two rush, with the initial centering pass from James van Riemsdyk hitting his leg and getting saved by Igor Shesterkin. But he converted the second opportunity, with Frederic's rebound goal giving the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

Laviolette challenged for goalie interference, but an official review determined the goal was good. It's clear that Frederic's stick made at least minor contact with Shesterkin's right pad, but how much it affected the play depends on which angle you watch. According to NHL rules, "incidental contact with the goalkeeper will be permitted” in a "rebound situation."

"After that first puck went into the crease, it looked to me like the stick only got the pad and pushed the pad back," Laviolette said. "The puck was sitting there, and then he shot it in once the pad wasn't there to make the save anymore."

Igor Shesterkin bounces back

The goal being upheld made it seven times in the last eight games that New York has surrendered the first goal, but it would be the only one allowed by Shesterkin.

He didn't need to stand on his head but put together a steady 21-save performance.

"I thought he was really good," Laviolette said. "Defensively, I thought our guys were sharp. But you always need saves from your goaltender and I thought he was on point tonight. He played a heck of a game for us."

It quieted some of the concerns that emerged following three straight losses in which the 27-year-old goalie coughed up a combined 15 goals on 93 shots for an unsightly .839 save percentage.

It helped that he had K'Andre Miller back in front of him. After missing the previous two games for personal reasons, the 23-year-old defenseman returned to action Saturday. He logged 21:40 time on ice with four shot attempts, three hits and two blocked shots.

Fifth time is the charm

The Frederic goal held up for a while, with the Rangers unable to generate any goals in the first 50 minutes. That included failing to convert on their first four power-play opportunities, most notably a three-minute advantage that carried from the end of the second period into the third. Their tendency for one-too-many passes reared its head on a few occasions, but the league's third-ranked PP would eventually come through.

"It's obviously frustrating whenever you don't score on a three-minute power play, but I thought we did a lot of really good things on those power plays earlier in the game," Trocheck said. "It was just a matter of us knowing that we were doing the right things. We're getting good looks and continuing to stay with it and do those same things. We just have to bear down on our chances."

The fifth time was the charm.

Trocheck's wrist shot from the slot knotted the score at 1-1 with 9:11 to play. It was set up by a well-executed give-and-go with Mika Zibanejad, with that pair exchanging three passes before the tying goal.

"Me and (Zibanejad) were in different spots," Trocheck said. "I was where he usually is and he kind of gave me an outlet, and then I was trying to get back to my spot. He made a great play through a couple of legs and I had some time in the slot."

That ensured the Rangers would walk away with at least one point in the standings, with Trocheck making it the full two on his OT winner.

"It says a little bit more about our team from a grit, a togetherness (standpoint)," Trocheck said. "All around, just being able to stick with it, standing up for each other, staying with it down a goal late. I think that says a lot."

Vincent Trocheck continues to shine

With that, Trocheck became the sixth player in franchise history to score a tying goal in the final 10 minutes of regulation and then the overtime winner. He's now up to eight goals for the season and has moved into second on the team in overall scoring with 27 points.

Those numbers are impressive, but it's his all-around impact that's made him one of the most valuable players on a team filled with big names. Saturday was yet another example, with the 30-year-old center logging 23:17 TOI − easily the game high among forwards − eight shot attempts (five on goal), two hits and two takeaways while winning 72% (13-for-18) of his faceoffs.

"He's been one of our best players a lot of the nights, and I think pretty much consistently throughout the season," Trouba said. "He's been a top guy, whether he’s retrieving pucks, he plays hard, he gets in on the forecheck. Even on the power play, the puck retrieval, I think, is massive with him and what he brings. He's great guy to have around and be in the locker room. He’s a great teammate, and I think a lot of what's happened for him this year isn't by luck or by chance. He's worked for everything that he's got and he's very deserving of the season he's having thus far."

Jacob Trouba answers the bell

This heavyweight bout featured 14 penalties and some hard-hitting action, including a David Pastrnak hit from behind on Ryan Lindgren that resulted in a game misconduct for the Bruins' star forward with 1:50 to go in the second period.

It also included a fight between Trouba and Frederic that had been weeks in the making. The Rangers' captain inexplicably whacked Frederic in the side of the head with his stick during the Nov. 25 meeting, which earned him a $5,000 fine from the NHL Department of Player Safety. Trouba was remorseful afterward, calling it "a dirty play" that wasn't intentional.

He wasn't surprised that Frederic challenged him during Saturday's second period and accepted it as a fair response to last month's incident.

"If I had someone hit me in the head with a stick, I'd probably want to fight them, too," he said. "I've got no issue with it. It is what it is. Answer the bell and move on."

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Postgame takeaways: Rangers win Eastern Conference battle with Bruins