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Game 4: DET 2 NYR 1, Rangers dominate but Howard steals one |
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The Rangers lost 2-1 to the Red Wings on Wednesday, evening their record at 2-2. Despite outplaying Detroit basically the entire contest, New York was unable to beat Jimmy - call me Dominik Hasek - Howard after scoring 1:09 into the game. The Rangers next face the Capitals in Washington on Saturday followed by Arizona at home on Sunday.
New York couldn't have scripted a better start. Mika Zibanejad scored just 1:09 into the game, tipping in Ryan McDonagh’s point blast for his second goal of the season. Chris Kreider earned a secondary assist, giving him a four-game assist streak. Then nothing, or at least nothing that got past Howard.
The Rangers held a 74-44 advantage in total attempts but were 0-for-4 on the power play, which included a stretch of 4:59 in the second period when the Red Wings were called for three straight minor penalties. That inability to convert on the power play is even more magnified because Howard was a stone wall during 5-on-5 and when Detroit was short handed, stoning New York throughout the contest. He was the main reason why the Red Wings left Manhattan with a win.
That said, there are two cardinal rules on the PP and New York violated both. First, make sure you are shooting the puck. Second, when shooting the puck, hit the net. The Rangers failed to do both at times on the man-advantage, especially on the 5-on-3, where missing the net caused the puck to go outside the offensive zone. Despite all this, if not for Howard, New York is up 3-0 at least after the first period, or at a minimum 2-0 if Kevin Hayes hits the open net at 8:57 of the first.
A bad Adam Clendening boarding penalty gave the Red Wings a PP in the second. Thomas Vanek tied the game at 6:15 of the period, tipping in Frans Nielsen’s shot with 14 seconds remaining on the man advantage. Less than a minute into the third, Detroit got the game-winner. On the winning goal, Lundqvist went to play the puck behind his net when Luke Glendening swooped in to steal it and feed Drew Miller for the go-ahead tally before Lundqvist could get back into position. Part of the misplay was due to some miscommunication with the defense, but Lundqvist has to be smarter and better with the puck, though as we all know, this is an area of weakness in his game.
Like the loss to St. Louis, I am disappointed but not angry with the loss. I am not about to start suggesting line combination changes or defensive pairing adjustments. If Pavel Buchnevich (back) and Dan Girardi (groin/hip) can go Saturday and/or Sunday, changes automatically will need to be made. If Buch returns, he likely goes back to the top line, Nash to the third line while I would sit Brandon Pirri and play Josh Jooris. If G is back, now that Kevin Klein is also in the lineup, I could see Clendening sitting. Unless AV actually uses Clendening as the point on the top PP unit, especially if Pirri sits, then the team will have a major decision to make because Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal and Klein aren't sitting. So it could come down to Brady Skjei or Clendening riding the pine.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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