The Rangers fell 3-2 in a shootout Saturday to the Flyers. Two horrible defensive plays in their own zone led to Philadelphia's two goals while New York got tallies from JT Miller and Derick Brassard. Both Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Mason were excellent in the contest while a controversial no-goal, even after challenge and video review, might well have cost the Rangers a win.
Overall, the Rangers were okay and far from great. Offensively, they had stretches where they carried play but failed to maintain consistent pressure. At times, it looked as if the ice was tilted with NY spending much of the time in the Philly end, but in a heartbeat, the Flyers were coming down the ice on an odd-man rush. Defensively, they had those two giveaways in their own zone - one by Ryan McDonagh and the other by Marc Staal - each of which never should have happened. In addition, too often, the Flyers created openings in the offensive end, causing Hank to come up big.
I am unsure if it's a chemistry issue or a focus issue or a combination of both, but whatever it is, it has to be cleaned up. Lundqvist - besides the two goals, which I thought he might have been able to stop - was flat out brilliant. The pad save on Wayne Simmonds on the 2-on-1 with Claude Giroux was phenomenal and the capper. Because throughout the game and early this season, he has repeatedly bailed out his teammates. Maybe it is the new skates he is wearing or taking AV's criticism to heart, but whatever it is, he has been on his game since the drop of the puck Opening Night. Granted, the shootout wasn't pretty and I do miss the day when he was unstoppable in them, but that's picking on minutia seeing how good he has been.
Both sides had glorious chances in the game. Late in the second on a power play, Philly hit the post and crossbar in the man advantage. Rick Nash, who is snake bit again, looked to have an empty side of the net on a rebound and sent it wide. But give both goalies credit as they were good throughout and a major reason why it ended up in the shootout.
Now for the controversial no-goal:
This link is the play, which shows the entire progression:
— Stephen Valiquette (@Vallys_View) October 25, 2015
Carp wrote:
Here’s what I think: They need to take this out of the hands of the on-ice officials. All kinds of things go into that decision … including the potential reaction of the crowd. I mean, refs have already, repeatedly, and for decades, shown that they call the rulebook as if “managing the game,… i.e. which team has more power plays, the score (and who knows, maybe the temperature of the crowd?). They have shown, for decades, that sometimes they don’t have the onions to make a tough call, so they simply don’t make the tough call. That call on a coach’s challenge should be made in Toronto. I don’t even think it’s a question. Plus T.O. has the big screens, all the technology to blow up and freeze frames. These guys are looking at an iPad, and expected to reverse their own call? What human being wants to prove he was wrong? Talk about a flawed plan.
When watching the refs during the challenge, my first thought is there is no way they reverse this in Philly. That thought shouldn't even be a factor; same as if it was at MSG to an opponent. Have someone who can rule impartially and maybe not be influenced by the home crowd make the ruling. That was not the case here. To me, the contact was at best minimal and came after Stoll was pushed by Voracek, so the goal should have counted.
That wasn't the only controversial play. There were two others. First, the hit by Radko Gudas on Victor Stalberg. Second, the Stoll hit on Michael Raffl.
Here is the video of the Gudas hit:
Gudas hit on Stalberg #NYR pic.twitter.com/QGmlatGMi3
— Ryan Ohanesian (@ryanohan) October 25, 2015I know many think the body was the initial point of contact and then the head. To me, it looked simultaneous. Even if it wasn't, there was still contact to the head. Stalberg did have his head down and wasn't looking up, but there was shoulder to head contact.
You can say the same on Stoll with Raffl. Stoll said he didn't realize he hit Raffl. The situation got scarier when Raffl collapsed on the bench but fortunately, it looks like he will be okay.
Possibly what caused Raffl's injury...sort of skated into Stoll's elbow in the play before. Tough to tell pic.twitter.com/lk5lYAqAjE
— Ryan Ohanesian (@ryanohan) October 25, 2015Regardless, if any contact to the head, it must be called. Maybe the rule needs to be like the NFL. Any contact to the head, even if incidental or unintentional is called. Eventually, the game will get cleaned up, especially if you make it cumulative and assign a value to the type of hit. Meaning did it come in the course of the game and happened on a check or was the head targeted as the principal point of contact.
The Rangers get right back at it tonight. Antti Raanta gets the start in net. Emerson Etem will play with Stalberg out. Defensively, I could see Dylan McIlrath play for either Dan Boyle or Girardi, but that seems to be a remote option.
Get the win and finished the first 10-game block, 6-2-2.