Rangers Disappoint Garden in Shooting-Frenzy Loss
The New York Rangers lit the lamp early at the Garden... and that was it. Despite outshooting the Wings 33-18, they fell 2-1.
Throughout the first two period’s of play, the Rangers were all over the Red Wings zone firing shot after shot after shot, only to be denied by Jimmy Howard while Lundqvist was probably catching up on some light reading. Six breakaway chances by all-stars like Nash and Zuccarello were squandered. Jimmy Vesey had not one but two shots on Howard back-to-back, both sent away. Brady Skjei was also unlucky, robbed off the post.
“I thought Howard had a great game tonight,” said Nash, who was left without a goal through multiple chances tonight.
It only took one misstep early in the third to derail the Rangers, Lundqvist handling the puck. Soon it was Drew Miller for the Red Wings, fed by Luke Glendening, that elevated the tie earned by Vanek to a one-goal lead.
“It’s just tough when it’s the difference in the end here,” said a frustrated Lundqvist post-game.
But while Hank was in the wrong, from there on out the Rangers made mistake after mistake.
Captain Ryan McDonagh poorly mishandling the puck leading to a Red Wings breakaway and a pickpocket deep in the Blueshirts’ zone. Jesper Fast deflected a hard shot with a high stick that may have sunk in the net, but very illegally. No goal and no gas left for the Rangers.
Special teams especially suffered tonight as well with two 5-on-3 chances for the boys on Broadway with no cigar. The power play unit from preseason has definitely broken down and that will no doubt be an area of focus in practice. As for the PK the Rangers did a solid job killing off a long 5-on-3 but could definitely work on taking bad penalties, such as Miller’s high stick, an easy call.
The Rangers have two days off and are back at it on Saturday in D.C. against the Capitals.
p.s. I love Derick Brassard but Zibanejad was worth it.
