Quietly, Ryan Strome has become a significant player for a Rangers team that is sputtering toward the finish line of a second straight season out of the playoffs.
The 25-year-old Strome scored his 17th goal of the season Friday in the Rangers’ 4-2 win over St. Louis at the Garden that at least temporarily prevented the Blues from clinching a playoff spot.
The goal was his fourth in five games and 16th in 58 games for the Rangers after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers Nov. 16 in a straight swap for the underachieving Ryan Spooner. His 17 goals ties his career-high for a season, set in 2014-15, his first full stint in the NHL with the Islanders.