The Rangers’ recent propensity for slow starts finally cost them Tuesday. New York rallied from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits to tie the game in the third, only to lose on a goal with just over a minute to go in the contest. The defeat ended the Rangers’ eight-game home and four-game overall winning streak. New York outplayed Florida and the defeat was the flip side of the coin to Sunday’s win, when Vancouver outplayed the Rangers but lost.
Game recap:
Let me get this out of the way up front. Nick Holden had a lousy game. His turnover resulted in Florida’s second goal. Holden also missed blocking the initial shot then couldn’t recover quick enough to prevent the multiple whacks at the puck on what was on the fourth goal of the game scored by Jonathan Huberdeau. The piece-de-resistance was the soft clear on the game-winning goal followed by Holden screening Ondrej Pavelec on Denis Malgin’s shot (though Brendan Smith had the initial turnover in the neutral zone and wasn’t particularly good overall). But the fan base to completely rip Holden for his play as a whole this year and use the easy argument of last year’s poor second half and playoff performance is pure laziness. Holden has actually played well this season, he had a poor game yesterday, no question. But please don’t use this game to drive your own personal agenda of wanting him out of town, ignoring the work he has done to date. The team as a while struggled in the first and Holden was one of the main culprits, that’s where the conversation should end. If Ryan McDonagh plays as expected Friday, it still should be Steven Kampfer and not Holden who is benched.
MSG Post-game:
The Rangers were bailed out by Henrik Lundqvist on Friday and Sunday. Tuesday, he wasn’t up to the task. Of the three goals surrendered on six shots by Hank, at least two if not all three were not his fault. The first goal was scored on a double-deflection in front, off the defense and then Aleksander Barkov and over Lundqvist. On the second, a bad turnover in the slot resulted in a high-danger shot not stopped. Pavel Buchnevich’s blast was stopped by James Reimer, leading to a 3-on-2 down ice by Florida. Michael Haley’s shot from the low slot, another high-danger spot, looked to be tipped by Paul Carey, changing direction past Lundqvist, ending his night. Of course, the easy argument is Lundqvist shouldn’t have started the game. I could see the reasoning of that to an extent, as Florida was on the back end of a back-to-back and starting their backup in Reimer. But with the days off between games and two more days until Friday against Carolina, I also understand why Hank was between the pipes.
Down 3-0, the Rangers managed to make it 3-1 at 4:04 of the second on a J.T. Miller jam-shot from in front. Miller lifted the defenseman’s stick and put the puck home. But just over four minutes later, the Panthers took a 4-1 lead on Huberdeau’s goal described above. That marker did little to deter New York and may have further spurred the comeback.
With Mika Zibanejad our due to a late-disclosed, upper-body injury, David Desharnais - originally slated to be a healthy scratched - was informed about 5pm or so he would be in the lineup and centering the top line. After a slow start, that trio was rolling much of the game, even though their Corsi doesn’t reflect it. That line scored a pair goals in 1:50. The first came from Buchnevich at 9:26 after a great play behind the net from Kreider, then the second came when Buchnevich found Kreider streaking to the back post, seemingly going 150 miles per hour, making it 4-3. Then the screw the Rangers button was in full force again.
Kevin Hayes scored on a brilliant play to tie the game after 15:49 of the period, but it was called no-goal on the ice for goalie interference on Rick Nash. As Steve Valiquette highlights below, there is no way that goal shouldn’t have counted. Nash is outside the crease, he is pushed backwards by Malgin, Reimer is the one who makes contact with Nash outside the blue paint and who has his stick in Nash’s skates causing the slight imbalance. Yet none of this seen or overlooked on coach Alain Vigneault’s challenge, but the call on the ice stood.
Goalie interference is like a catch in the NFL, subject to too much interpretation and no consistency on the call. New York was screwed in the opposite direction last year, when Elias Lindholm nade conatct with Antti Raanta’s mask, but it was ruled that Raanta’s mask wa outside the crease, so the goal stood. How could you call that, which likely was the wrong call then, but this one, which is even clearer, isn’t changed? Find a way to get some damn consistency and make the right call.
Valiquette explains why Hayes' goal should have counted:
New York shook off the blown call and dominated the third, finally tying the game with 6:32 to go. Kreider notched his second goal of the game and his 10th of the season, finishing a nice pass from behind by Desharnais. The good feeling lasted about five-and-half minutes, as we all were looking towards overtime at a minimum and a possible win late in overtime. But Malgin got the game winner following the pair of bad turnovers by Smith and Holden.
The issues that plagued New York earlier this season weee in full display yesterday. But we also see how this team can look when they turn up the pressure and use their speed and forecheck game. A bad loss no doubt, but some positives can be taken from it. While I am disappointed, I take some solace with the way the team played and came back despite not having Zib or McD. I wonder if Desh is in Friday, possibly for Carey, if Zib is back, and as said above, I would sit Kampfer for McD.
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