The Backup Goalie is called on very infrequently, but when they are, they must deliver. The New York Rangers backup goalie is Antti Raanta and he does.
Antti Raanta is in his 4th NHL season and is making the very best of it so far. Head Coach Alain Vigneault has called on the 27-year-old Finn 3 times through 12 games this season. That was to give Henrik Lundqvist a breather. Raanta has delivered all three times, as he is undefeated in those starts.
San Jose Sharks, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins have all been defeated this year by Antti Raanta. So when Lundqvist is wearing the backup baseball cap on the bench, there are no worries.
Rejuvenated in New York
Raanta spent 2 years with Chicago backing up Corey Crawford but fell out of favor when Scott Darling (who actually defeated the New York Rangers during their President’s Trophy season of 2014-2015) and was sent back down to the AHL.
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The New York Rangers brain trust knew they could not keep backup extraordinaire Cam Talbot and traded him to Edmonton. GM Jeff Gorton signed Raanta before anyone else could, which has proved to be a very smart move indeed.
Scoring Frenzy vs the Sharks
Against the San Jose Sharks, Raanta was good but not great, as the two teams exchanged goals at a breathtaking pace. But when the Sharks got close, Antti barred the door and kept them at bay. The result was a 27 save performance that won a 7-4 shootout.
Catching the Lightning in a Bottle
Tampa Bay came into Madison Square Garden on the night before Halloween looking for treats but were tricked instead. The trick was turning goalie Ben Bishop into a revolving door, as Raanta’s costume was a stone wall. 6-0 was the comfortable score and Antti was working on a shutout, when on the power play, the puck deflected off Stephen Stamkos’ leg and into the net. Only that blemish kept Raanta from gaining his 5th career shutout.
Beat Down in Beantown
Boston scored an early goal on Raanta, but 2 shorthanded goals helped give New York a 3-1 lead. During the last period, Antti proved to be the best Ranger on the ice, as he kept the 2 goal lead intact. Boston did score on a deflection in front to make the score 4-2 Rangers, but that was as far as Boston got. A brilliant 35 save performance by Raanta, keeps him undefeated on the season.
To Rest a King
Alain Vigneault is looking to play Henrik Lundqvist between 50 and 55 games this season. Which means those other 27 to 32 or so, will be started by Antti Raanta. From what we have seen so far this season, the New York Rangers will be in capable hands.
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