The New York Rangers led 3-1 in the third period on Saturday. They scored two goals in 42 seconds to erase a 3-1 deficit on Sunday. They lost both games.
The weekend was defined perfectly by head coach Peter Laviolette following Saturday’s loss: “It’s disappointing.”
Consecutive collapses like this aren’t totally surprising for a Rangers squad that has been atrocious in its own zone this season, but what’s most frustrating is that the Rangers are getting dominated by teams they’re in the playoff hunt against — the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The costly errors made by the Rangers’ defensive zone play this weekend were a combination of poor positioning and lazy backchecking — neither of which are qualities of serious Stanley Cup contenders. As the Rangers have established by their lack of consistent performances, they are not that. Here are the weekend’s biggest takeaways.
Another blown third-period lead
The Rangers were fully in control of Saturday’s road matinee in Ottawa, up by two halfway through the third period.
As the Senators’ power play came to an end, Igor Shesterkin was unable to corral the rebound from Thomas Chabot’s point shot. Braden Schneider sensibly checked Dylan Cozens, who was Ottawa’s net front presence. K’Andre Miller, however, didn’t make an effort to take either Adam Gaudette or Ridly Greig on either side of Shesterkin, allowing Greig an easy tap-in.
Seven minutes later, at five-on-five, Schneider and Vincent Trocheck both turned to check David Perron, who shot as he cut to the front of the net. As Trocheck cleared Perron away from the danger zone, the puck came free in the crease, where an unmarked Michael Amadio chipped it in. Artemi Panarin, the closest player, was too slow to check him.
“We had everybody down there,” Laviolette said. “Just bouncing around.”
“They seemed to get a couple whacks at it,” Mika Zibanejad added. “It’s not just that situation. Could have done more in the third, especially when we go up 3–1, but it’s a tough one.”
In overtime, an errant pass from K’Andre Miller to J.T. Miller wound up on the stick of Tim Stützle, who found a wide open Brady Tkachuk. He won the game, leaving the Rangers with just one of what should have been a straightforward two points.
Inability to capitalize on momentum
The only positive stretch of Sunday’s 7-3 home loss to the Blue Jackets came in the wake of a Will Cuylle holding penalty — the only time New York was shorthanded.
The Blue Jackets had made the Rangers pay for their costly mistakes with two Adam Fantilli goals in 26 seconds, and led 3-1. But the Rangers, who now lead the NHL with 13 shorthanded goals this season, flipped the script. Schneider, left alone in the slot, made it 3–2. Seconds later, Chris Kreider and Zibanejad were gifted a rare shorthanded two-on-zero.
Kreider made no mistake. Madison Square Garden was buzzing. The game was even at three.
And the Rangers somehow threw it away.
“We needed to grab the juice,” Laviolette said. “Get the fourth goal and then push the game in our direction. It didn’t happen.”
They allowed two more second period goals, scored in 1:44 by Mathieu Olivier and Dante Fabbro. Then another two in the third. Almost all of these were the result of the Rangers’ collapsing around their net or failing to cover an open Blue Jackets player. Columbus’ sixth goal, credited to Kent Johnson, went in off Zac Jones’ glove. Tough break.
“It came in different ways against us tonight,” Laviolette said. “Either we get beat, or the coverage broke down, or it bounces in a different direction or we have somebody fall and the coverage breaks down, it goes to odd man numbers down in our zone.
“Every goal was a different scenario, but at the end of the day, it’s not good enough. We gave up chances that were big and right in front of our net, and that can’t happen.”
“Couple puck decisions,” J.T. Miller added. “A couple mis-coverages and leaving the goalie out to dry. We weren’t hemmed in our zone all night, but it seemed like when we were giving up chances, they were pretty big ones.”
Like they did on Saturday, and on many occasions this season, the Rangers seemed like they stopped playing once they had momentum. They could’ve turned the game around. Instead, they reverted to their bad defensive habits.
Losses further diminish the Rangers’ playoff hopes
The Rangers had a chance to move back into one of the top two Wild Card spots this weekend. They squandered all but one point to the teams that occupy those two spots — Columbus and Ottawa — and remain outside the playoff picture.
New York has 68 points in 64 games played. Columbus has 70 points in 63 games, and Ottawa has 69 in 62.
The Detroit Red Wings’ losing streak is now at five games, but with 66 points in 63 games, they sit in fourth place in the Wild Card — just behind the Rangers — and remain a real threat to New York. One week ago, they were in a playoff spot. They are tied with the Montreal Canadiens, who are in fifth place.
The Rangers head back to Canada on Tuesday, where they meet the NHL’s number one-ranked Winnipeg Jets — the first of nine games in the 12 days.
“We got to get back to work,” Laviolette said. “We got to get on the plane tomorrow and go get some points on the road.”
