For all the platitudes given to the Rangers for their recent play, including their comeback win Monday, some if it has to be retracted for the nightmare at home Wednesday. Pittsburgh spotted New York a 1-0 lead and then it was all Penguins, as they scored five goals in the second, chasing Henrik Lundqvist, in what was a 6-1 victory. New York gets Thursday off to lick their wounds and regroup, then has a 1pm game Friday at Philadelphia.
Should we view this as just an aberration or a portend of problems to come? Last year, as Larry Brooks noted, on Thanksgiving Eve, the 16-3-2 Rangers were humiliated at the Garden 5-1 by the Canadiens, who drove Lundqvist from nets by scoring five times on 24 shots in 49:06. The defeat precipitated a 3-9-2 skid during which the Blueshirts were exposed as pretenders. So what are these Rangers, contenders or pretenders? We will see very quickly if this is a full or partial aberration and what sits inside each Ranger. Are they willing to pull up their boot straps, learn from this loss and play the kind of hockey needed or will they fall prey to the same problem that resulted in the 6-1 loss?
This team has earned its record with an impeccable work ethic, commitment to detail and enhanced execution that has triggered the most potent attack in the NHL. Those three aspects has made New York 14-5-1 through almost the first quarter of the season. But, despite all those factors noted by Brooks, the defeat yesterday and losses over the weekend did expose several concerns, many of which we had noted before:
1) an inability to win games unless they score three or more goals. On November 24, New York is 2-6-1, when they score three or less goals..
2) an offense predicated on speed and the ability to utilize it through the neutral. But when the neutral zone is bottled up or the opponent prevents New York from making the quick breakout passes, they appear to lack the size and grit needed to generate consistent pressure. In addition, the forecheck seems to come and go, which can be okay when you speed up and down the ice, but when that's stopped, there needs to be alternate ways of creating offense.
3) an unsustainable shooting percentage. Brooks noted the Rangers have a 12.39 five-on-five shooting percentage (prior to the loss against Pittsburgh). That number is such an anomaly, we know that it will decline. But, even if that happens and New York falls to three goals a game, if 1 and 2 are fixed coupled with what should still be solid netminding, the Rangers should continue to win.
To help fix 1-3, the Rangers will need Lundqvist, who should have been blamed for most of the goals last night, as he had no real shot at several several of them, and Antti Raanta to come up big. In addition, the defense, which has been better than expected, must be a heck of a lot better than it was Wednesday. To me, the pairings and the usage issues fall on AV, as he seems reluctant to shift up the six where needed. I don't make Adam Clendening out to be a savior, but to bury him and ignore the deficiencies of others seems way too reminiscent of last season's problems.
As Brooks noted, it will be up to GM Jeff Gorton to add the need pieces. A physical, gritty winger and top-four d-man are two needed commodities. New York could have up to 10 million in cap space at the deadline to work with in order to bring on both. In addition, the system should have enough mid-tier prospects to facilitate these kind of deals.
The question is whether the Rangers have enough diversity within their lineup to win when flash-and-dash is dampened; whether the Blueshirts have enough size and physicality to grind it out when the checking becomes tighter and time and space evaporate. That remains to be seen, but if not, general manager Jeff Gorton will be able to work with a projected $10 million in cap space at the deadline.
Wednesday was pure ugliness. Five goals allowed in the second, including one where Pittsburgh just toyed with the Rangers and the puck in the offensive zone before scoring. Failing to get a single shot on a goal for a span of 23:59 that bridged the second and third periods. Getting outshot 38-17 and out-attempted 71-43 for the game.
Those who don't learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. Let's hope New York learned from theirs. The answer comes starting Friday.