This team just refuses to play a 60 minute game. They get to East and west and way to lazy at times. Eventually that has to fall on the coach cause you can’t replace all the players The Rangers once again played with fire, depending on Igor Shesterkin to keep them afloat, Thursday against the Kraken. Igor and a pair of power-play goals - including one 6-on-4 with the goalie pulled in the last two minute of the third period - enabled New York to escape with one point. But poor defense during the 3x3 session allowed Seattle to notch the victory and make the Blueshirts 2-3-2 in their last seven games.
Game recap:
A few thoughts: 1) Lather, rinse, repeat. From the comments below, you could pretty much just use them after almost each contest during the season. I am not being overly negative but the definition of insanity is to repeat the same act and expect a different result. In the Rangers' case, they know that playing the same way will create the same issues they have seen and yet, as we have seen, nothing changes.
Either it's the players, the coaches, the system or all three. But if you are repeating the same refrain that you know you can't make the same mistakes and recognize the impact almost daily and yet they keep happening over and over, you have a problem. The collective whole and the individual understand and know the problem exists, yet they can't get out of their own way and fix it. To me, this is a coaching and system - or lack thereof - problem and when the skill can't make up for those problems, we get what we saw last night in the second period and throughout the season.
"You know they’re going to have a push back," Mika Zibanejad said. "We're not going to be able to just dominate for 60 minutes. They’re still an NHL team we're playing against. But I think by saying that, there's probably a lot of things that we can do better in terms of when you feel the momentum swing. ... I would say they’re getting a lot of their chances off of our mistakes and breakdowns.""The second period was awful," head coach Gerard Gallant said. "We started playing in front of them instead of playing behind them, and you see what happens. … We turn pucks over."
2) Line failure: Vince Mercogliano spelled out the issues nicely last night. As you will see, few were immune from the struggles last night. What is evident from those struggles, not just last, but in general, is that the team has become overly reliant on their power play and can't score at even-strength. The Rangers' power play ranks eighth in the league with a 24.6% conversation rate but the team is now averaging just 1.83 goals at 5v5 per game and failing to generate enough high-danger chances.
Scoring 5x5 - as seen above - is way down. More disconcerting is the lack of high-danger chances. The talent should result in increased opportunities. But while Alexis Lafrenière, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko have made strides, at times, the lack of consistency and especially scoring and the inability to take over games - largely from the wingers - is glaring. But they aren't the only ones. Artmei Panarin had ZERO shots 5x5 yesterday. How does that even happen and where is the player who came into the season looking to put last year's playoff struggles in the rear view window?
It's time to try Vitali Kravtsov again, if he is fully healthy. Put him on the second line. Slide Goodrow back to the fourth line. Sit Ryan Carpenter. if this doesn't work, mix up the kids again and place Panarin with Mika Zibanajed in an attempt to get him going.
The second line of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Barclay Goodrow also struggled, allowing five high-danger scoring chances while generating only two of their own. After starting the season with 16 points in 10 games, Panarin's offensive production has dropped off significantly with six points in his last eight.But perhaps the most glaring disappointment Thursday was an uninspiring performance from the Kid Line of Alexis Lafrenière, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. Gallant put them together to create a spark and make the Rangers lineup deeper, but it has not had the desired effect. And if they're not playing well, then the holes in the top six become even more glaring.
The kids were on their heels all night, with the Kraken producing six scoring chances against them while they only mustered one.
3) Coaching was an issue last night as well. I get that the Kid Line struggled last night during regulation. But in the overtime, why the heck is Gallant playing Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey over Kakko and Lafrenière, who remained on the bench in overtime. In addition, Chytil received one OT shift, but was only on for 18 seconds before Justin Schultz's game-winner. How is that smart player management? I understand rewarding players, and that's how it should be, in regulation. In overtime, go with those who give you the best chance to win the game.
4) Blueline - not a great night again. Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller were not great again. Miller was on the ice for the OT GWG, though I blame Panarin more than him for how that sequence was played. Chytil maybe should have slid down earlier to get Schultz but he is marking the high forward so he doesn't come down the slot. Optimally, Chytil should open up like someone in the paint in basketball and guard the slot, but that's not the system.
Libor Hà¡jek and Braden Schneider had a rough night. Hajek's failed clearing attempt - though more so due to a great play by Matty Beniers - led to Seattle's first goal that deflected off Schneider's shin pad past Shesterkin. As we know, the third pair, left-handed d-spot is not set in stone. Zac Jones could get another shot Saturday in San Jose.