In early March, Glen Sather pulled the trigger just in time, acquiring defenseman Keith Yandle with less than 24 hours until the trade deadline. Sacrificing young, high-end talent and high draft picks, the Rangers general manager traded for a player he had “been watching a long time,” the type he believed wasn’t available all that often.
But through much of his first two months with the Rangers, and much of the first two rounds of the playoffs, Yandle looked little like the player thought to potentially be the final piece to the team’s first championship in 21 years.
Now, Sather’s swing is heading closer to the fences, with Yandle’s play peaking — just in time.
With the dead-even Eastern Conference final back at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, the 28-year-old Yandle enters Game 5 following his two best performances of the playoffs, having recorded five points after putting up only four points through the first 14 games of the playoffs.
The offensively proficient defenseman registered his first goal of the playoffs and two assists in the Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Lightning in Game 4 at Amalie Arena.
“It’s the best I’ve seen him play so far with the puck,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “How to beat the forecheck, when to jump up in the attack, it’s the best I’ve seen him play with that so far. I’ve seen him play really good with Phoenix before. It takes players a little adjustment time. He’s playing really well.”
The adjustment hadn’t been easy for Yandle since arriving from Arizona, where he had spent his entire eight-year career. Though he said he didn’t feel any pressure as a highly-touted addition to a team already viewed as a Stanley Cup favorite, Yandle is “a lot more comfortable” than he was even a few weeks ago.
“I think if you look at the lineup of this team, for me it’s just finding a way to gel in and be part of the team; that’s on and off the ice,” Yandle said Saturday. “The guys have treated me great, so to put that pressure on myself, if you look at what this team did even before I got here, it was a special team. For me, it’s just coming in and playing well and trying to help out.
“It’s just the way guys play and finding your role, so it was something that you knew it was going to take time, and I feel good now.”
Feeling better has meant playing better, back to the level he believes he belongs, back to where the team needs it to be to pull out two more wins against Tampa Bay.
“I think in this series I’ve felt probably at my best and most comfortable, and I kind of feel like it’s coming together,” Yandle said.
Just in time.