Jonathan Quick sparks Rangers after extended break: ‘He’s a pro’

As the New York Rangers continue to push for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and their fourth consecutive berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they’ve relied heavily on No. 1 goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

But after Shesterkin started a career-high ninth straight game on Friday, the Rangers turned to Jonathan Quick in the second of a back-to-back against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday — and the reliable veteran didn’t miss a beat.

Starting for the first time in three weeks, Quick made 21 saves on 22 shots and helped the Rangers secure a crucial two points in a 6-1 win at SAP Center.

“To watch him jump in like that, that’s him, he’s a pro,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said postgame. “He’s been doing it his whole career, but to jump in and give us an effort like he did tonight, I thought was really good. I thought we played well in front of him, but there’s a lot of talent on the other team, and there’s always opportunities that need to be stopped. The ones in the second [period] stand out for me.”

It was a great bounce-back for Quick, who last played in a brutal 7-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 9 at Madison Square Garden. The win against the Sharks was the 10th of the season for Quick and the 403rd of his career, tying him with Grant Fuhr for 13th in NHL history.

While he wasn’t incredibly busy against the Sharks, Quick made timely saves when the Rangers needed them, especially in the second period when the Sharks pushed to get back into the game after falling behind 2-0 in the first.

“He was good all night, but he had two saves in the second that were monster saves,” Laviolette said. “When there’s not a six on the board and there’s only a two or three on the board, those saves become really important to a game.”

Quick’s lightning-quick glove save to rob Will Smith on an odd-man rush was crucial and a highlight. He also stoned Patrick Giles by bursting across the crease during another Sharks rush in the second period.

Rangers’ simple game a ‘blueprint for success’

While it’s nice for Quick to come in, play well and get a win for the Rangers, what’s more important is that they improved their lot in the race for a wild-card spot.

The win gave them sole possession of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference for a few hours before the Montreal Canadiens grabbed it with a 4-2 road win against the Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Both teams have 77 points, but the Canadiens have played one fewer game.

The Blue Jackets have two games in hand on the Rangers; New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings each are three points back and have a game in hand on the Blueshirts.

The Rangers need to string some wins together. They still have yet to win three straight games since winning three in a row from Nov. 14-19.

Maybe potting six goals against the 32nd-place team in the League is what the Rangers needed to gain some confidence and figure out their game, which, according to Quick is best when it’s kept simple.

“We stick to our game,” Quick said postgame. “We have success when we keep it simple, forecheck, and make teams defend. Playing that way from the start leads to rush chances and three-on-twos, two-on-ones. I think keeping it simple is a good blueprint for our success.”

Six of their last eight games are against current playoff teams, beginning Wednesday when the Minnesota Wild come to the Garden, so the Rangers will have to play some of their best hockey down the stretch.

“Where we’re at in the season, every point we’re fighting for,” Quick said. “More importantly, it helps our chances there.”

According to moneypuck.com, the Rangers have a 36.5 percent chance of making the playoffs, up from 25.1 percent prior to the win Saturday. A couple more wins in a row should help those odds significantly.