In a game the Rangers want to forget, one of the newest Rangers Andrew Copp was impressive in his Rangers debut. A day after the Rangers made four trades at the trade deadline the Rangers got steamrolled 7-4 against the last place New Jersey Devils.
The one bright spot for the Rangers was the play of Andrew Copp. After being acquired Monday afternoon from the Winnipeg Jets, Copp gave Rangers fan a preview of what he can bring to the lineup. Copp finished the night with two assists and took a team high 15 face-offs, winning 53.3% of them. Copp also showcased his ability to play both special teams as well. Playing on the Rangers top power play unit he had the primary assist on the Rangers only power play opportunity and he also played a team high 3:32 minutes of ice time shorthanded.
Trade Deadline Podcast
To learn more about what Copp can bring to the Rangers lineup check out this great interview with Winnipeg Jets color analyst Jamie Thomas. I was lucky enough to have him on my podcast The Broadway Hat Podcast. Thomas talks about how versatile Copp is and how he can play anywhere upfront. He also talks about how good he is in the face-off dot which the Rangers need badly.
New Additions
The two other NHL additions the Rangers made at the deadline also made their debuts. Justin Braun who was acquired from the Flyers Monday played on the third defensive pair. Braun had some rough moments. He got caught on the ice for a 2 minute plus shift that ended in a Devils goal. He finished the game with a -2 +/- rating and 17:30 of ice time. Their other addition was Tyler Motte. Motte who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks played well in his debut. He had a team-high 4 shots on goal and got moved up the lineup in the 3rd period. He also added three hits in the game.
Looking Ahead
Friday night the Rangers have a big game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers currently trail the Penguins by two points in the standings. The Rangers play the Penguins twice in the next three games, with a game against Buffalo sandwiched in-between.
With the big trade deadline day Chris Drury had the Rangers are now a much deeper team. Adding Andrew Copp to the Rangers should finally solidify the third line.
Be sure to bookmark our hockey page for hockey coverage and follow Belly Up Hockey on Twitter: @BellyUpHockey. Follow me on Twitter for more takes on the New York Rangers and USA Hockey: @KHallNY. You can also listen to my NY Rangers podcast The Broadway Hat Podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify for Rangers news and interviews with past and current players.
