Carolina leads the series 2-1

Rangers win Game 3 3-1

The entire Rangers team showed up for this game and it made the difference. Mika Zibanejad skated the rink the entire 60 minutes and made play after play. Igor let one sneak by him but he kept his composure and held that door shut for the rest of the game.

The Rangers were more aggressive in this game, the much-needed adjustment that I was happy to see. They were also able to take advantage of the mistakes Carolina made, which ultimately won the game. The Hurricanes got sloppy with penalties and it was Fox, Panarin, and Zibanejad who made them pay for it. A perfect cross-ice pass from Panarin to a wide-open Zibanejad for the rocket speed one-timer. The first goal of the game in the first period put the Rangers in the lead and this time, they never let go.

Chris Kreider got a beautiful goal thanks to Zibanejad making Tony DeAngelo’s life more difficult. DeAngelo moves around Mika to cross the crease so he can chase Kreider, but Mika jack-knifed DeAngelo’s stick from below, sending it into orbit, thus turning him into a flopping fish in front of Kreider. Seeing the opening, Kreider sent the puck across Raanta’s face mask and in. DeAngelo had some turnovers, missed shots, and generally bad ideas for the entire game so, by the final horn, he had regressed into a giant baby. As he does.

The biggest advantage Carolina had in this game was shots on goal (44 to the Rangers’ 33) but Igor was in the zone and kept them at bay. The mind-boggling statistic from this game: in the last 25 games, Carolina is just under 10% on the power play. It’s like 9 out of 93. That is complete garbage. If the Rangers can shake their bad stretch of power play performance from Games 1 and 2, Carolina is in serious trouble. If Carolina wins this series and they play Tampa, they have no chance of winning without fixing that. That’s junior varsity numbers.

There was a big scare when Kreider missed the empty net with less than 2 minutes in the game left but Tyler Motte was able to rally back and put the game away with his terrific off-the-boards ENG.

The Rangers came into this game on a mission and were better able to expose Carolina’s weaknesses. If they can win again at the Garden tomorrow to tie this series up, all of Carolina’s momentum is gone. If they can beat Carolina in Raleigh in Game 5, that could completely tilt Carolina into making even more frequent dumb mistakes. They haven’t lost at home in the playoffs yet, so that could get into their heads and make them panic. The confidence in the Rangers winning tomorrow is bumped up a few notches with yesterday’s performance.

2-0 Carolina

Not only is Carolina up 2 games in the series, but they also landed a 2-0 win last night to make a nice matching pair. The game was actually pretty close. New York and Carolina are heavy defensive teams and the shots on goal show that (21-20 Carolina) but Carolina kept the Rangers from getting any high scoring chances.

Blocked shots, interceptions, and turnovers happened from start to finish. Carolina got their first goal on a Rangers defensive mistake and that kept all momentum on their side. The Rangers didn’t get to capitalize on the very few forced errors they managed to get on Carolina. Both teams didn’t get a power play goal.

Here are the big problems:

• Face-off wins are way too low. The majority of offensive face-offs were lost by the Rangers, allowing Carolina to quickly clear the puck. And when in the defensive zone, the Rangers were forced into defense. You can’t win a game if you’re on the wrong side of the rink for more than half the game.
• Carolina’s penalty kill is way better than Pittsburgh’s. That’s handicapping the Rangers’ potential for goals, to say the least.
• Carolina’s forecheck is aggressive and New York doesn’t know how to handle it.
• The team’s all stars are not producing. Forget goals and assists, Kreider and Panarin didn’t have a shot on goal last night! Zibanejad had two. Strome can’t hit the damn net to save his life. Trouba isn’t a goal scorer. The guys that are getting paid the most aren’t doing anything in this series. Panarin has been so slow and bad (turnovers especially) that I’m convinced he’s hurt.

I also get the sense that the Rangers are afraid of being aggressive on offense out of fear of being punished by breakaways. But that’s how Carolina plays and it’s working for them. They cannot play so passive tomorrow or it’s going to be another loss. The open net chances HAVE to turn into actual goals. Strome needs to be able to shoot through the legs of someone standing 3 feet away from him instead of hitting them in the back! Absolutely infuriating.

Carolina 1-0

For the first two periods, the Rangers controlled the game. This will likely be the “easiest” game of the series and the Rangers didn’t get far enough ahead to secure a win.

For whatever reason, it took the Carolina Hurricanes a long time to show up. They looked slow and their offense wasn’t working towards anything. Whether it was all on their effort or the Rangers’ defensive preparation keeping them on lockdown, for most of the game it looked like the Rangers had a handle on the game. With a goal nearly halfway through the first period by Chytil with an assist from Lafrenière thanks to Tony DeAngelo handing over the puck, things were going in the right direction for the Rangers. That lead lasted until the last 2:30 of the game.

And that was the problem. Even with near-complete domination (the Rangers kept the Hurricanes to an absurdly low shot count) the team didn’t manage to get another goal. Each team hit the crossbar a few times but the Rangers bungled 2 open net chances. Kappo Kakko’s chance was the most egregious. A one-goal lead is nothing in this league–especially in the playoffs–and that’s what did them in.

Were the Rangers playing too conservatively? Not really, the shot count shows the effort. But the 3rd line was the only one constantly generating offense. With an obviously poor-performing Carolina team, the extra effort to bury them didn’t materialize. For the entire lead, the game felt like it was on a tight rope. One goal still meant it was anyone’s game. And the turn happened at the start of the 3rd period.

That’s when Carolina started putting their game back together. They controlled everything for at least half the period, almost keeping the Rangers from taking any shots on goal. The Rangers managed to get some ground back but a defensive hole appeared and Carolina took advantage of it. Igor stopped the first shot but the rebound went right back to Aho who got around him because Igor’s sliding momentum stopped and he couldn’t move any farther over to stop the tip in. No Ranger followed Aho in for defense. Then in overtime, a goofy shot bounced off of Ryan Lindgren and went in. A brutal ending that the Rangers really should have had. Hard to say if this dagger in the heart was worse than Game 1 against the Penguins.

But that’s hockey. The Rangers robbed Pittsburg a bunch of times. New York had at least 2 fluke own-teammate deflections (Miller’s 2-2 tieing goal in Game 7 being the most recent). The key is…you have to score more than once. More than one line needs to be effective. One benefit from last night, is the Rangers only had one penalty called on them. That’s an improvement from the last series conga line of penalty box visits. Carolina only had one as well but I think we can all expect this won’t last as the competition cranks up a notch in each of the following games.

Everyone knew this game was going to be insane and it was. I gave the odds at 50/50 for each team to win and the pattern of the game played out like the last 2 games in the series where the Rangers had to come from behind and won. Every second period of this series was chaos on ice. This was 60 minutes of non-stop battles with Crosby and Jarry back in the game, bringing Pittsburgh almost back to full strength.

Kreider opened up the scoring in the first period with a sweet set up from Zibanejad. The Penguins tied the game with about a minute left in the period.

Things, of course, went off the rails in the second. Guentzel kicked a pass up to himself for a ludicrous goal that gave the Penguins the lead halfway through the period. A wave of dread washed over MSG. On the next play, Igor made two outstanding back-to-back saves. This was key as this kept Pittsburgh from taking total control. Going down two in less than 90 seconds could have made too big a hill to climb, something Pittsburgh had done before. Igor did this numerous times on penalty kills, keeping multiple rebounds out of the net. The world’s best goalie planted his flag last night and it stood strong. I cannot stress enough how well he played last night, it was all the difference.

And then it happens less than a minute later: K’andre Miller ties it up with a wrist shot that bounces off two Penguins and rolls passed Jarry. It was ridiculous. He was down on his knees to block the shot that never went to him so he couldn’t move over fast enough to grab it. The period ends with a horrific turnover by Chytil at the end of a Rangers power play. I have no idea who he thought he was passing it to. It went right into Rodrigues who took off and Igor didn’t stop. Igor is typically excellent on breakaways, but not in this series.

The third period starts with the Rangers down one. More and more intensity. Halfway through the period, the score remains the same and the Penguins are on the power play. Tyler Motte is all over Crosby who sends the puck in Trouba’s direction for a turnover and Trouba makes a beautiful pass back to Motte who gets a breakaway but doesn’t score. Five minutes later,, play is in the Penguins’ zone and there’s a long battle along the boards. Clearing and pass attempts, but it bounces over to Zibanejad who quickly turns and fires on Jarry who is caught by surprise. Tie game with less than 6 minutes left. Absolute pandemonium.

In the opening minutes of OT, Miller gets a breakaway and is held during his shot. The Rangers go on the powerplay. You can see what happens in the video above. Panarin the game-winning hero! Insane comeback, and an insane win.

The next challenge: Round 2 vs the Carolina Hurricanes. The Rangers made a lot of mistakes last night and Carolina is much more likely to take better advantage of those blunders. 1/4 on the power play with Pittsburgh 2/5. That’s all the difference in a blowout vs a hair-raising comeback fight. The Rangers have to work on their defense in every situation. You cannot rely on Igor to do it all.

3-3

The Rangers force a Game 7. Clawing back from a 3-1 series deficit in the NHL Playoffs is rare. But once again, the Rangers don’t make it easy for themselves. A 2 goal deficit in the first is back again. On the first goal by Pittsburgh, Igor stopped the first shot and the following 2 rebounds with no help, which lead to the 3rd rebound going in. Then a scant time later, a wide-open cross-ice pass for a one-timer. Again. Awful first period. Then the Pens had an awful 2nd period and what I said needed to happen, happened. Zibanejad and Kreider came through and the special teams did their job.

In the first quarter of the second period, the Rangers go on a powerplay because of Ryan Lindgren. It took 5 seconds for the goal. Win a face off, the puck is passed twice to get to an open Mika and he one-times the rubber off his shot. Hit the back of the net before Domingue could react. That punched the whole arena in the gut, making them sweat that the lead was now cut in half. A few minutes later, the Rangers send the puck around the boards behind the net and Fox gets it to pass to Mika near the blue line. There are like 5 guys in front of Domingue and Mika snipes him dead. Clips Domingue and goes in. The place is dumbfounded. The Penguins get mad, and get called on a high sticking that draws blood, so that’s 4 more minutes in the box. Forty five seconds into the power play, the Penguins clear the puck and Igor comes way out to get it. On the clear, the Penguins went for a line change and Igor takes the advantage, making a perfect pass to Mika that had to have been 100ft. There are only 2 Penguins near enough to do anything. He races off with Kreider right behind him and to his left, the shot is stopped and Kreider is there to jam that meatball into the net with Domingue laid out on his side like a banana. Observation: Domingue isn’t good at staying on his feet with fast shots, he frequently falls to the side.

As rad as all of this, cue up a boneheaded move by the Rangers to ruin it. Actually it’s one Ranger. Jacob Trouba makes a mindboggling stupid pass that Malkin read like a book. He gets his tape right on the puck and takes off on a breakaway and Igor doesn’t stop it. The stuff of nightmares. That’s with a little more than 3 minutes left in the period. Malkin is now the hero.

The 3rd period starts with the game tied and you could feel that this was basically being treated like overtime. More cautious and reserved play. The Penguins had clearly gotten the message that taking a penalty likely means death. The period is a back and forth high wire act until the last 90 seconds. Penguins clear the puck, Rangers pass it back up and it gets to Kreider on the left side. He lets an innocuous slap shot go not far from the blue line and Domingue puts both of his hands in front of him. The knuckle puck rises to the top of his chest and it hits a small part of his glove near his thumb. The puck flips up and over his head. When the crowd realizes it’s going to land right behind him, they scream in horror. Domingue didn’t know where the puck went, maybe he thought he caught it, and it bounces right in front of the goal line and bounces in. 4-3 Rangers, and it’s unbelievable. I was stunned and it was in my team’s favor. Penguins pull the goalie for a last ditch effort and Copp gets the empty net. 5-3 Rangers win, off to the Garden tomorrow.

This crazy disappearing 2 goal lead has happened in almost every game this series. I still can’t believe they made another comeback after being destroyed in Game 4. All bets are off tomorrow. If Crosby feels 80% or better, there is no way he isn’t playing. He’s always on the ice when Zibanejad and Kreider or on the ice and look what happened. They both got two goals. The Rangers were 2/3 and the Penguins were 0/3 on the power play. That’s literally the game.

Game 7 will be one for the history books. The Rangers can’t afford another garbage first period. No bad periods, period! Sixty minutes of hard-fought, grinding hockey is necessary to put down the Penguins. The NY defense has to work smart. Trouba needs to pay attention. Miller has to have an outstanding game. Strome and Panarin need to score on one of their chances (I’d like to know what on Earth is going on with Panarin, he’s shooting everything wide or making crappy passes). Having Tyler Mott back is a huge boon as it ensures Nemeth doesn’t play.

Let’s Go Rangers!

3-2 Penguins

The Rangers don’t make anything easy.

In the first 30 seconds of the game, the Rangers got called on two penalties giving the Penguins a 5-3 man advantage for two minutes. That is a disaster but the Rangers’ PK did the work and made it a non-issue, keeping the Penguins at bay. That was a good sign. The Rangers did go down 1-0 by the end of the first but a one-goal lead is nothing at this level. Going down 2-0 was the problem. The Rangers pinched along the board on offense and that ended up backfiring as it turned into a breakaway with Letang taking a one-timer from Malkin that whipped by Igor. Bad vibes in the Garden until about 7 minutes later.

Fox snipes the hell out of Louis Domingue to cut the lead in half. Trouba hits Crosby when Crosby is looking down at the ice, ultimately sending him out for the rest of the game. The Rangers crank up the pressure and it pays off less than two minutes later with Lafrenière burying a one-timer from Kappo Kakko to tie it. About a minute later, Trouba makes possibly the most stylish goal of his career with a cut over the right circle to center ice and fires a backhanded shot past an oblivious Domingue. The roof of MSG almost blew off after that goal.

And then the Penguins scored 13 seconds later after a terrible turnover from Igor on the next play. Terrible, awful, no good. A total defensive blunder.

The hero play comes from long scorned Filip Chytil at the start of the 3rd period. After getting his game-winning goal in the first game overturned for goalie interference, his quick reaction shot on a power play surprised Domingue to the tune of a win. The Penguins pushed hard for the rest of the period but without Crosby, they looked rudderless. More penalties piled up on them giving the Rangers an easier time of killing the clock.

With a goalie pull, Lindgren made the security goal with 16 seconds left in the game. 5-3 Rangers, forcing game 6 tonight in Pittsburgh.

Ryan Lindgren rules, plain and simple. Missing the last 3 games made a huge difference in the Rangers’ defense and he came out strong as ever. He was targeted all night taking hits and block shots. He did everything he could in this game and he’s a major factor in why the team won. He makes everyone around him better. Keeping Nemeth off the ice is a benefit.

The so-called Kid Line had another great game. Our all-stars, Panarin, Kreider, and Zibenejad were quiet again. Tonight’s game will be unrelenting and the first line has to show up tonight. They have to lead the charge and get points. The end is on the line again and the chance to win this war in Game 7 at the Garden is the stuff of legends

3-1

This time, the score tells the whole story. 7-2 Penguins.

The Rangers played well for the first 10 minutes or so and then it went south. An early goal by Lafreniere got things off to a bright start and then halfway through the period, the Penguins scored on a power play. Again, the Rangers’ special teams failed to deliver.

In the second period, it all fell apart. Four goals, or 5. I can’t remember, my brain is currently blocking this game from my memory. Terrific time to have the worst game of the season. Deflections all over the place, turnovers like that’s a good thing you want to happen.

Straight up Pittsburgh has figured out the Rangers’ system and knows how to exploit it. It was basically 40 minutes of being overwhelmed. Fox without his linemate Lindgren is an obvious defensive hole. Goodrow is needed for face-offs and general playmaking. The first line was completely dead and now Pittsburgh is getting points from every line. A complete refocus and effort with the fundamentals of hockey from the entire team is necessary or the Rangers’ season is over tomorrow night.

The 7-4 result doesn’t say how close game 3 was.

A slow start by the Rangers–something that’s bitten the Rangers all season long–almost turned into a complete wipeout. The Penguins scored very early in the first period with a weird bounce of the puck but the Rangers quickly answered back with a goal by Lafreniere and Kakko. It was a strong showing that didn’t last long. The Penguins scored on two power plays and then a shot that should have been stopped to make it 4-1 at the end of the first. In a period that was dominated by the Penguins, it was a depressing sight to see. Igor was pulled for the second with Georgiev put between the pipes. The second period was a complete turnaround.

In a series where momentum doesn’t seem to carry for long, the Rangers stormed back. Goals by Vatrano, Panarin, and Copp made tied the game by the end of the second period. It was a stunning change of pace with the Rangers taking total control and the Penguins making one mistake after another. One of those goals was short-handed! That’s two for the series!

This game was decided on the power play, full stop. The Rangers had 3 consecutive power plays and did not score. They did everything but score on the second, which was non-stop aggression that Domingue had to do cartwheels to stop. The third power play was a complete dud. That was pretty much where the Penguins took back control. With a botched defense and an out of position (and probably surprised at the shot coming) Georgiev, the Penguins snuck their 5th goal in. Everything the Rangers tried to do after that was largely stuffed shut. Two empty-net goals and the final score is 7-4.

Tonight the game is back on home ice for Pittsburgh who is feeling really good about themselves. It’s important to not get down and realize it’s still anyone’s series. The first 3 games have been razor close and if anyone lets up it will make losing easier. Focus and determination are being tested and I’m expecting a bounce-back game from the Rangers tonight. We’ve seen it before and it will happen again.

1-1

With the first game of the round being played in Pittsburgh for the first time, emotions and the stakes are at a high point.

The first game was a marathon, going all the way to a third overtime. The game was dominated by the Rangers in the first period where they took the lead. The Penguins then pulled it together while the Rangers pulled back, allowing the Penguins to shoot wherever and whenever they wanted, closing the lead. Rangers go back up by one and Crosby leads the way to tie it up. At the very end of the 3rd period, the Rangers game winning goal was waved off for goalie interference. Apparently, a valid goal that would have been allowed in the regular season is no good. That pushed the game into another 45 minutes of playtime in a nonstop game of inches. The Penguins managed a deflection to get by Igor to win. The goaltending was fantastic on both sides, but DeSmith got hurt in overtime and Louis Domingue came in to replace him. He stopped all 17 shots the Rangers sent his way.

The Rangers shook that loss off and hit the ice for game 2 on a mission. The basics held true: the Sidney Crosby line is incredibly dangerous and penalties have to be kept to a minimum to keep the best odds in the Rangers’ favor. The Penguins are much better at staying outside of the box so far. The Rangers can’t score a goal and let up, the Penguins always find a way to bounce back quickly which stops the momentum. The Penguins have been able to lock Panarin up better than the Rangers have held Crosby back.

With Jarry and DeSmith both out, the Rangers have a massive goaltending advantage. Domingue wasn’t able to hold back the Rangers for a full game. After a terrible turnover from Panarin to Crosby that turned into a goal, Panarin became laser-focused to make up for it. He ended the game with multiple assists and a goal that came 8 minutes into the 3rd period, giving the home team a two-point lead. Igor gave them that chance to stay ahead by blocking 9 consecutive shots at the start of the period. Soon after Panarin scored, Frank Vatrano made a dazzling shot to take a 3 goal lead.

The Penguins pulled their goalie with more than 5 minutes left and it didn’t work. Jeff Carter being a scumbag and intentionally running into Igor to hurt him also didn’t work. 5-2 Rangers.

Now game 3. Both teams aren’t at full strength. Lindgren and Goodrow were out for the Rangers, and Goodrow is not coming back anytime soon. Lindgren might, which will be fantastic to pair him back up with his long-time linemate Adam Fox.

It’s really important that the Rangers tighten up their play. Way too many turnovers are the biggest problem in my view. The Penguins can turn around so fast it often leads to breakaway chances. It’s too dangerous to rely on Igor to bail them out like that too many times. The Penguins love to shoot at any opening they see and the fewer that get on the net, the better. Can’t give them the room they need. The Rangers’ powerplay has been a huge advantage for them, pushing the Penguins’ PK % further down every game. They had a fantastic 86.4% PK in the regular season and in the last six games they’ve played (including the last 4 regulation games) something has happened to the point where huge holes have been ripped open in their efforts. If they weren’t so disciplined to stay out of the penalty box (and the refs treating Crosby with Tom Brady like favoritism) this series wouldn’t be close with the way it’s going. Reaves has had a fantastic series so far, cleanly laying out anyone who leaves themselves open and curbing any foolish ideas from players who may try something sketchy. There’s no one on the Penguins Reaves can’t handle.

Pittsburgh fans are going to throw all their energy at their team tonight and it’s going to be another huge test of will again. If the Rangers can keep playing better, it’ll be another win tonight for the first lead in the series. Every game in the playoffs matter. Another edge of your seat night starts soon!

52-24-6

Three weeks ago the Rangers clinched a playoff spot.

Last night, by beating Washington 3-2, the Rangers officially ended the season with 110 points and landed the Penguins as the first-round opponent. The Rangers finished second in the Metropolitan division, Carolina in first, Pittsburgh 3rd, Washington 4th.

In the regular season, the Rangers won the series 3-1. The momentum, series-wise and season wise are I think on the Rangers’ side. But that doesn’t mean the Penguins are a gimme. Tons of playoff experience (this will be the first round for many NY players) and the Crosby, Malkin, Letang wave will be in full effect. They have a lot to prove in these playoffs. They got bounced in the first round in the last three seasons. They had a rockier season than expected. And this could be their last go together, many think the team could be restructured over the coming off-season.

I’m obviously leaning toward a Rangers win here. I think they could do it in 5 games if the trend of the regular season continues. The Penguins have to address more issues than the Rangers do. But the Rangers have to play with as few mistakes as possible to keep the Penguins off their game. I wouldn’t be surprised if this went 7 games out of the sheer passion for the rivalry. These teams have played against each other in the playoffs 7 times with Pittsburgh winning 5 of them. Are these Rangers the true superior team? That’s what we will find out next week.

These playoffs are stacked. Odds are the teams that truly don’t belong will get bounced in the first round (I could see LA being the dark horse but St. Louis is probably the sleeper) and round two will be all killers that could have every series go the distance. The front runners are Florida and Carolina. I see Calgary going very far. Tampa Bay is going for Cup number 3 and while they didn’t dominate like this season, it’s hard to believe they won’t go far (which has happened a few times).

There are so many variables at play in every series that it’s hard to make accurate decisions, but from start to finish this should be the best playoffs in years.

47-20-6

The goal for this season has been achieved: make the playoffs. Not only did the Rangers make it, but they also accomplished clinching a playoff spot with 9 games remaining in the season. They didn’t have to rely on another team losing to squeak into a wildcard spot. They’ll likely finish in second place in the Metro Division, with a real possibility of coming first. No one thought this would happen.

The trades at the deadline have paid off. It’s actually nuts how well the team has gelled. Copp, Vatrano, Braun, Motte (who just got injured) have fit in well and made a big difference. Copp and Vatrano especially. Drury basically figured out how to win the lotto with pocket change. I don’t know if there has been a better trade deadline for the Rangers in the last decade. Usually, it’s paying a fortune for a rental that doesn’t work out.

There’s been panic about this team if they lose more than 2 games in a row. The impending doom that’s never actually happened. Used to bad skids, it’s not shocking to read this from the fan base. Sure they’ve lost to bad teams they shouldn’t have, but the bounce back has been quick. Maybe two 3 game losses in a row? Losing to the Islanders and Flyers was horrible but the way the team has been playing is nothing short of strong.

Igor was unbalanced for a few games, letting in way more goals than he normally does. But he’s back to form now. Georgiev has won 5 in a row and while they weren’t all pretty, he’s back in the black. There’s a level of confidence from every player on the ice that hasn’t been around since…2014? It’s tangible, you can feel it while you watch. Steamrolling Pittsburg is an absolute treat! When they’re down they don’t give up. They lead the league in comeback games. Kreider is 2 goals away from hitting 50 goals! Panarin is heating up, Mika is always a presence on every shift. Rooney and Kakko are back and with 9 games before the playoffs, they should have enough time to get back into the swing. Kakko hasn’t played in around 3 months so it is a concern about how fast he can get back up to speed.

But all the pieces are there to go on a long playoff run. If the first round is versus Pittsburg, I think the Rangers have a big advantage. The playoffs will be stacked this year so nothing is a given. The overall health and skill level of the Rangers make them dangerous. No team can underestimate them and that’s a major achievement.

37-17-5

Off a four game road trip the Rangers went 2-2. First winning against Winnipeg and then two losses against Minnesota and St. Louis. The losses were terrible, some of the worst games they’ve played. With the team giving up a lot in these past few seasons, it’s easy to overreact and say the sky is falling. To date, the Rangers have not lost more than two games in a row this season. After getting laid out by St. Louis (due to horrific defense), the Rangers rallied to beat Dallas in dramatic fashion.

This team is truly different from immediate seasons. They are better, but the flaws are obvious as they have been. Igor is world-class levels of talent in net. Alexander is good as well, but he’s not Igor. There are like 3 goalies in the NHL who can match him. Alex’s big problem is that he plays so infrequently, he can’t find his game. He’s very momentum-based. It takes him time to find his groove and he’s rough when in that process. When he stabilizes, he can achieve his true potential. He doesn’t want to be a backup. It’s likely this is his last season as a Ranger. I don’t think he’ll be moved at the trade deadline because right now there’s no one out there to take his place that would be a marked improvement.

The other problem is scoring depth. The top 2 lines are the only ones scoring goals and that doesn’t win in the playoffs. Too much weight is being put on the top 6 and it’s showing. They’re getting worn out playing 25+ minutes a night. They’ll be burned out when the playoffs start. 5-on-5 goals are too infrequent which then shifts the onus on the power play to pick up the slack. It’s worked a lot so far (2nd in the league!), but you can’t rely on special teams to win games in the long run. It needs to be part of the game plan, not the pillar. Coach Gallant recognizes this and he’s trying to get more bodies on the ice to spread out the load. You want these guys to suddenly find their games but that’s not realistic. The mixture of rookies who are learning and journeyman players who are just good enough to play in the NHL won’t get far in the playoffs. The entire team turned it around in Dallas and that’s the team that has to show up every night to keep up this train on the tracks. Every team lays an egg multiple times in a season, they’re just brutal to watch and only a real problem if the same mistakes keep being made. That’s how losing streaks happen.

We also need to appreciate the team. Their record is fantastic, the best in years. Having an all-star goalie isn’t a problem, he just needs to be able to rest. Yes, Igor bails them out of bad spots, but that’s his job. The goalie is the last line of defense. This season was all about making it to the playoffs for the first time in 5 seasons and that is going to happen bar any disasters. That’s a huge accomplishment. Everyone’s known there were holes in the roster starting this season and they’ve still done remarkably well. No one wants to be bounced in the first round and it’s possible that could happen depending on what the match-up ends up being. The East is full of killers, but the Rangers have shown they can compete.

I don’t think major trade moves are coming in the next week. I think Drury will put things in a holding pattern to see how it goes and then assets will be moved to plug the holes in the roster for next season. When Rooney and Kakko come back, he’ll get a full picture of where the team is and take it from there. Renting players for a fortune at the end of the season hasn’t worked at all for the Rangers and there is no reason to believe it will move the needle enough today. The team needs more than one very good center and defenseman. The pickings and price to pick those up this week will likely be too narrow and expensive.