On the same night the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award was handed out, the Rangers’ inconsistent effort led to a 3-2 shootout loss to the Sabres on Monday at the Garden.
The Blueshirts looked like a team that didn’t have much to play for at times, while Buffalo fought to keep its playoff hopes alive all night.
The visitors tied it up in the third period before Owen Power and Casey Mittelstadt scored in the shootout to secure the victory.
As a result, the Rangers lost out on another opportunity to pull even with the Devils in second place of the Metropolitan Division standings.
The Devils are set to play the Sabres on Tuesday night in Newark, where they will have an opportunity to pull further ahead of the Rangers in their pursuit of home-ice advantage.
Carolina had an opportunity to clinch home ice with a win over the Senators on Monday, but the Hurricanes lost 3-2.
Playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference is still very much up in the air as the regular season winds down.
With Game No. 82 on Thursday, individual Rangers accolades have started to roll out.
Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) blocks a shot by Buffalo Sabres left wing Jeff Skinner.for the NY POST Jacob Trouba was named Mr. Ranger, the second annual award in honor of the late Rod Gilbert.
Jimmy Vesey was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.
And in an emotional ceremony on Monday night, Ryan Lindgren was announced as the 2022-23 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award winner as voted by the fans.
Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider (4) controls the puck around Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt.for the NY POST
Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) clears the puck.for the NY POSTIn true Lindgren fashion, he spent the final minutes of overtime in the Rangers locker room after blocking a Jeff Skinner slap shot with his face.
“It is my honor to present this award to the play who has become the heart and soul of this building,” NYPD Lieutenant Conor McDonald, the son of the late Steven McDonald, said before announcing No. 55.
The honor, which has been given annually since the 1987-88 season, is awarded to the Rangers player who “goes above and beyond the call of duty.”
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Ryan Lindgren won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.for the NY POSTIt bears the name of the NYPD detective who was shot and injured in the line of duty on July 12, 1986 before he ultimately passed away on Jan. 10, 2017.
Lindgren, who is in his fifth season with the Rangers, became the third defenseman to win the award, joining Adam Fox (2019-20) and Brian Leetch (1996-97).
This season, the 25-year-old has recorded career highs in assists (17) and points (18).
As beneficial as Lindgren’s on-ice statistics are for the Rangers, the Minnesota native brings so much more to the team than meets the eye.
Lindgren is a motor for the Rangers.
He is a glue guy and the kind of player who exerts 100 percent of himself each and every game.
There are no numbers that tell the full story of who Lindgren is to the Rangers, who can look like a shell of themselves whenever No. 55 is not on the ice.
