The Rangers with a chance to take a 3-2 series lead and come home Saturday with a chance to clinch spit the bit Thursday. Carolina dominated pretty much from the opening to closing whistle in defeating New York 4-1 in Game 5. Today's game looked like a repeat of the third period in Game 1 and all of Game 2 when the Canes made the Blueshirts look completely futile. Game 6 is Saturday at 8pm now that Edmonton eliminated Calgary.
Game recap:
A few thoughts:
1) The
Rangers were outplayed. The little battles against the walls were lost repeatedly. Carolina squeezed the neutral zone, preventing any sustained attack. When New York cleared their own zone, the puck came right back in immediately, as the Rangers just put it up the boards to get it out with no hope of making a play. The Hurricanes cycled the puck in the offensive zone, constantly putting pressure on the Blueshirts.
Tonight's game was nothing like what we saw at MSG. To me, it was like watching the Tampa Bay series from 2015 all over again. Just when we thought the Rangers had turned the corner and were able to take a stranglehold on the series, they allowed the Lightning to slow down the game, blunting the team's attack.
Chris Kreider, who was brutal in this zone with no shots and a missed opportunity in front in the second, reiterated the view above. ""They did a pretty good job of pinning us in our D zone," Kreider said. "A big part of it was our inability to get through the neutral zone." Making the little plays take on even more importance at this point in the season. This too was the difference, as Carolina did that and New York didn't.
2) Coach Gerald
Gallant made his feelings well known. To be clear, he didn't say they were tired, but said they played like they were tired. There is a difference. He is calling them out for what looked like poor effort and saying they looked tired, Part of that can be attributed to what Carolina did to them. But this is three road games that coach Rod Brind'Amour had eaten Gallant's and the team's lunch. If the team is tired, getting over that mental hurden, not the physical one, will be a bigger key.
"I didn't think we played our game at all," he said. "I thought we were reaching with sticks all night, instead of finishing checks with the body like we did the other nights. To me, it was the worst game in the five games so far this series. They pretty well dominated that game tonight."
"We looked tired," Gallant added. "We weren't quick enough. We weren't strong enough. We can make excuses about them clogging up the neutral zone and all that, but we just didn't play our game."
Tonight I”m disappointed, we didn’t play our best game and we have to win one game here to win the series, hopefully that is Game 7. We gotta be better than we were tonight, we weren’t quick enough, strong enough and we can make excuses about them clogging up the neutral zone and all that, but we didn’t play our game, we weren’t competitive tonight.”
Is this an example of each game being a fresh start, “I told you that the other night. Momentum doesn’t carry over for me. Maybe some coaches say it does, but for me it’s one game at a time and you get ready for the next one. Our backs are against the wall again and we’ve played pretty well in those situations so we’ll see where it goes.”
3)
Adjustments - just like after Games 1 and 2, they are needed. Gallant has not been good in-game, so the tweaks will need to take place before the game. If none are made, the team will be playing with fire.
For Game 3, Filip Chytil moved to the top line, Alexis Lafreniere to the second while Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp moved to the third line alongside Kakko Kaapo. The impact was immediate. while the lines were adjusted back for the third period, the modifications made had a material impact.
Game 4 saw Frank Vatrano restored to the first line, same with Andrew Copp on the second. The change was Tyler Motte sliding up the third trio with Kaapo Kakko sliding past the third to the fourth. New York had a dominant effort in evening up the series.
What we have seen is playing Kakko on the fourth line is a waste. In fact, the final trio as a whole were pretty much a non-factor and this is where Barclay Goodrow and Sammy Blais are missed. Gallant needs to either go back to the trios that started Game 3 or put the Kid Line back together. In addition, something needs to be done to help Artemi Panarin, who had no shots on net Thursday, find his game.
Carolina's shutdown line of Nino Niederreiter, Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast shadowed the Rangers' top line of Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Vatrano, which resulted in the latter trio being out-shot, 8-1, and out-chanced, 10-2, according to Natural Stat Trick. At home, as we saw in Game 3-4, New York has the last shift, which will help. But if the team can win Game 6, which is not guaranteed, figuring out to counter what the Canes are doing will be key.
In addition, New York has to find a way to counter what Carolina is doing defensively. They are matching up man-on-man defense, playing each guy tight, resulting in turnovers and counter attacks the other way. This was the case to a certain extent on the horrific blueline turnover by Jacob Trouba and the god awful play in center ice by Adam Fox that led to Andrei Svechnikov's first goal of the series and nail in the coffin. Pressure played a part in the misplay by each blueliner as Carolina's speed and forecheck were on full display. To beat the pressure, quicker decisions are paramount, a forward as an outlet is needed followed by a break on the wide side to catch the defense.
4)
Special teams - all season long, the Rangers have relied on their power play to get on the board and penalty kill to thwart the opponents. Thursday, Carolina scored their first man-advantage goal in the series after missing on their first nine chances. In addition, and more damaging, was the shorthanded goal (Vincent Trocheck, his first point in the series). This was the second game, both on the road, where a SHG - each time due to a bad play at the blue line - resulted in a goal that played a huge part in the loss.
New York got their sole goal on the PP from Mika Zibanejad, but it wasn't enough. Even strength, very little in the way of attack, seen in the 17 shots posted. Ryan Strome appeared to have scored to give the team a 2-1 lead, but it was likely rightly overtuned. Maybe if that counts, Igor stands on his head, which is what will have to happen to win Game 7, let alone Game 6 to get there.
5)
Igor Shesterkin - Arthur Staple noted this: Svechnikov’s breakaway, as noted by Steve Valiquette on the MSG Network postgame show via his Clear Sight Analytics company, was the fourth breakaway goal on seven shots Shesterkin has allowed in the playoffs. CSA had Shesterkin stopping 17 of 18 clear breakaways in the regular season. If Igor is tired, physically and menatlly, the team has no chance. But if he can tap into his reserve, New York still has a solid chance to win the series.
6)
Home ice - once again the difference maker. The home team has won each game this series. In fact, for Carolina, all 12 games they have played, the team with the dark colored jerseys have won, the first time this has happened in NHL history.
The good news is that New York is going home where the Garden faithful should be at full bore. In addition the Blueshirts are 3-0 in elimination games this postseason, having rallied from 3-1 down against the Penguins. Win Saturday, then figure a way to break the home team winning streak for Game 7.
As I said after Game 4 in the Pittsburgh series, I would run this every day for however long that series lasted. I first wrote this in 2014 when the team was down 3-1 to Pittsburgh. What I said certainly applies now, with some very small tweaks, as at the time, New York had never rallied from a 3-1 series deficit. Now, on the brink of a series loss again, it's appropriate to run it again.
I am as optimistic as anyone, but would not be shocked if the series ends in Game 6. If it does, what I want to see is heart, passion and effort. Lose but lose with all of it left on the ice. Show some pride for the name on the front of the jersey. Don't just let Carolina walk over you, stand up for yourselves as an athlete and member of the New York Rangers. It doesn't matter who plays and who sits, whoever is in the lineup needs to bring it. To quote Boomer Esiason and it's something I have said a lot, win one shift, then another, then another. Then win one period and another. Then win the game and send it back to Carolina for Game 7.
Heart. It's the willingness to take a hit to move the puck or score a goal. Heart. It's what makes the name on the front of the jersey more than the one of the back. Heart. It's what New Yorkers love to see in their athletes. It's rising over trying circumstances. It's carrying a team or a teammate on your backs when needed. Heart. It can overcome talent when talent doesn't have or use it. Heart. It's what needs to be on display tonight.
Win or lose, We Are All Rangers!!!
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