The Rangers completed a 1-3 homestand with a 6-4 loss to New Jersey. Poor defense, goaltending and in my opinion, a lack of hustle, doomed New York in the defeat by the Devils, who beat the Blues the night before. The Blueshirts head out on the road for the three straight, including back-to-back contests Tuesday against the Dallas and Wednesday versus the Colorado.
Game recap:
David Quinn Post-Game:
Coach Quinn's postgame thoughts: pic.twitter.com/cY5E9p2jdL
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 8, 2020
A few thoughts: 1) The Rangers (36-28-4) remain three points out of a Stanley Cup Playoff position. They have one win in their past five games (1-4-0). One win in five games while battling for a playoff spot is far from ideal. Losses to Philly (2x) and St. Louis you can understand. To New Jersey, not so much.
Give the Devils a lot of credit. They have been a lot better recently, notching a 6-2-2 record their last 10 contests. New Jersey played like the team trying to make the playoffs. They were quicker to the puck, better in their own zone, though New York was good in the first period, definitely better in net where MacKenzie Blackwood outplayed Igor Shesterkin and a lot more physical and crisper than the Rangers. All in all a very weak effort.
You can say that it was youth showing their youth but that's too easy of a rhetoric. Quinn said it in the post-game press conference, New York played a team who wanted it more and this has been the way the year has gone (meaning the inconsistency from game to game and period to period) Maybe the Blueshirts will be better on the road.
2) Shesterkin - injured on February 23, made his first appearance after missing six games. Not sharp at all. Maybe New York rushed him back. The tone was set on the weak goal allowed to Kyle Palmieri from a bad angle. The night didn't get better from there.
I understand why the team started Shesterkin but also would have understood giving him another practice. Earlier in the week, I mentioned possibly starting Henrik Lundqvist against New Jersey. Granted Monday morning QB now. My hope is that Igor got the rust out of his game and comes up big Tuesday and Wednesday.
3) Balance - getting a goal from Filip Chytil, his first in eight games, to start the game made me think that maybe the team was in a good spot. Much of the offense has been generated by a handful of players. That was the case to a certain extent Saturday.
Mika Zibanejad scored for the fourth straight game (nine total) and in 10 of the past 11 (15). Pavel Buchnevich added two more assists. Tony DeAngelo tallied his 15th in the loss. Greg McKegg got a window dressing tally late, but the third and fourth lines must be better. That's why when Chytil scored with Julien Gautheir helping to set up the goal, I thought we were in a good spot. How wrong I was.
4) Per Elliotte Friedman, GM Jeff Gorton and Assistant GM Chris Drury had their contracts extended. No word has been given as to how long, but you would two more seasons. Gorton has done a very good job since taking over from Glen Sather. Not perfect, but very good. Drury is highly thought of and is a GM in waiting. The Rangers have blocked him from interviewing for other GM jobs but you have to figure it's only a matter of time before that happens.
Headlines: Coronavirus plans/Ottawa/Draft lottery/Gorton, Drury extended -- https://t.co/kpcCVJrhF8
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 8, 2020
5) Playoff race - four losses the past five games has damaged the Rangers' chances of making the playoffs.
Saturday, the Canes defeated the Islanders, but that came in OT, so the Isles got a point. Capitals beat the Penguins, Panthers over the Canadiens, inching them closer, and the Flyers won again, outscoring the Canes, and remain tied with the Capitals for first place in the Metro Division. (Columbus is on the West Coast at Edmonton)
Games that matter Sunday: Carolina at Pittsburgh and Columbus is in Vancouver. Monday: Florida is at St. Louis,
Toronto - 79 points - 69 games
Washington - 89 points - 68 games Philly - 89 points - 68 games Pittsburgh - 82 points - 65 games Islanders - 79 points - 67 games
Columbus - 79 points - 68 games Carolina - 77 points - 66 games Rangers - 76 points - 68 games Florida - 75 points - 68 games Montreal - 71 points - 70 games