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Game 57: MIN 3 NYR 2, Despite loss, some positives, thanks to kid blueline |
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The Rangers saw their two-game win streak end in Minnesota in Tueaday, falling 3-2 to the Wild. Three turnovers in the first 6:17 of the game, all three occurring within a 3:08 span, resulted in the three goals against. From there, New York played a strong game, but they were unable to overcome that deficit.
Game recap:
First the bad, Eric Staal capitalized on a turnover by Nick Holden in the neutral zone, scoring 3:09 into the game to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead. Holden failed to move the puck and Staal came in on a 2-on-1 break and beat Henrik Lundqvist. Rick Nash’s ill-advised cross-ice pass was tipped by Zach Parise and snuck past Lundqvist’s pad at the near post make it 2-0 at 4:34. Finally, Brady Skjei missed clearing puck and Marcus Foligno scored when he one-timed a pass from Daniel Winnik to make it 3-0 at 6:17. Three goals in 3:08 on three turnovers and Lundqvist was about to get pulled for Alexandar Georgiev. But the Rangers got a PP and scored to keep Hank in the game.
Now the good. John Gilmour got the Rangers on the board and within two with his first goal of his career on the power play with a one-time blast. Second, New York dominated the second period, outshooting Minnesota 19-8 in the frame. In that stanza, the Rangers tallied their second PPG of the game, as Kevin Hayes scored. Neal Pionk started the play, blocking a shot in his own and moving the puck to create the break. Gilmour and Pionk became the first pair of Rangers’ rookie d-men since Andre Dore and Tom Laidlaw in 1980 to get their first points in the same game. Last, the Rangers went 1-for-1 on the penalty and have now killed 22-of-their-last-25 shorthanded chances.
With Steven Kampfer our due to a fractured hand, Ryan Sproul slid into the lineup on the third pairing. Pionk moved go to play with Skjei in the top pair. That left Nick Holden and Tony DeAngelo on the third pair. The minutes for each show below is slightly skewed because of PP TOI but it still gives a good indication of just how solid the kids were:
Skjei (26:29)-Pionk (25:28)
Holden (14:47)-DeAngelo (21:13)
Gilmour (18:06)-Sproul (10:58)
I take lots of positives from this game. What was very evident is the difference young legs that can really skate and move the puck make. No more plodding from defense to offense, because Skjei and Pionk and Gilmour and ADA can all skate well, Sproul similarly to a certain extent, just maybe not as well as those four, and move the puck quickly. Those two key aspects - skating well and moving puck quickly - has been lacking. The ability to do each is what works well in AV’s system. Now, you can argue the system in place for off the puck play leaves a lot to be desired. But defenseman that can skate and move the puck should excel in this system and we saw hints of it last night. In addition, you saw defensemen with the freedom to create and use their skills, aspects also lacking this year. One main caveat is that it’s a small sample size for each. Growing pains will be on display for each, especially as team’s learn their tendencies. Plus, defenseman growth linear, so expect ups-and-downs from each.
I can’t berate AV for this loss. Not his fault for the three turnovers, plus he called timeout to kick his team in the rear after the second goal. We have blamed AV, rightfully so, for lots of issues and problems with this team. Last night’s loss is not on him. The players made the mistakes and they are the ones to be held to task for the three turnovers. But I liked that they didn’t cave or crater, which might have been easy with young players. But they got one back fairly quickly and remained engaged throughout.
Second, give Minnesota some credit. They clogged the neutral zone brilliantly in the zone. New York tried the drop back pass in an attempt to create momentum. The Rangers also tried short passes to make space. Dump and chase was another approach utilized. None of those really worked, and you have credit the Wild for sticking with their system and playing it perfectly. On the 6-on-5, JT Miller had a great look and was robbed by Devan Dubnyk, who was very good again. Sometimes you have to tip your hat to the opponent.
One other bit of good news, which I included in the comments to yesterday’s blog, is the expected return to practice, in a non-contact jersey, for Chris Kreider. Reading the column by Larry Brooks in the Post points out how athletes have a tendency to ignore warning signs because of their desire or fear of leaving the ice. Kreider mentioned how he was coughing up blood for two to three weeks but didn’t say anything, rationalizing that approach by saying you never feel good during the season and he thought that this was just part of it. Jimmy Vesey notes before he returned that Rick Nash is the one who made him go with Jim Ramsey to get checked out for a possible concussion. We won’t get into that it must be mandatory for a player to go with the trainer or why the independent concussion spotter didn’t pull Vesey. But what each case shows is that athletes can’t and won’t police themselves because they always will want to remain in the game. Fortunately in each case, nothing too untoward happened and both players got the required treatment. In Kreider’s case, that only came after his right arm blew up to twice it’s normal size against Washington on December 27 and he was lucky that the end result was just a rib resection.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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