To hear Derek Stepan explain it, he's the last guy who should have won the Broadway Hat following the Rangers 3-2 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday night at The Garden. But even though Michael Del Zotto and Marian Gaborik created the game-winning goal with some slick skating and passing, it was Stepan who buried the game-winner 22 seconds into OT past Columbus netminder and Steve Mason, and thus it was Stepan who earned the Broadway Hat.
"I'll take a lot of those goals, backdoor tap-ins where they do all the work and I just happen to be in the right spot," explained Stepan after the game. "It's a special feeling, that's for sure, especially scoring (an OT winner) in The Garden. I believe that's my first career one, so it's a pretty good feeling."
Stepan now has 12 goals and 38 points on the season. Three of his 12 goals have been game-winners.
"You don't really think about (taking that shot), it's just second nature, really," Stepan said of his winning goal. "I knew if Michael could see me that I would have a lot of net to shoot at. My thought process was just to bear down and get all of it and hit the back of the net."
