3 Rangers takeaways after Boston Bruins ruin J.T. Miller’s two-goal return in 6-3 loss
The New York Rangers missed out on a crucial two points, losing their third straight game to the Boston Bruins 6-3 on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden. David Pastrnak had a hat trick and the Rangers’ special teams were outplayed as the Bruins widened the gap on New Yor in the chase for a wild-card spot.
The Bruins got on the board first, scoring a power-play goal just over 10 minutes into the game, but the Rangers battled back with a goal of their own 34 seconds later by J.T. Miller, his first as a Ranger since Feb. 25, 2018.
However, the Bruins came storming back with three goals of their own, including another power-play goal, to take a commanding 4-1 lead after two periods. Miller answered back again with a power-play goal of his own 35 seconds into the third period, but Boston regained its three-goal lead less than a minute later on Pastrnak’s second goal.
The Rangers got within 5-3 when Jonny Brodzinski scored his fourth of the season at 10:27, but they never got any closer. Pastrnak hit the empty net to complete his hat trick and send the Rangers back to New York on a three-game losing streak.
Miller (2) and Brodzinski were the goal scorers for New York, while Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren, and Will Borgen each had an assist. It was another rough game in goal for Igor Shesterkin, who allowed five goals on 24 shots. He’s had a save percentage of .846 or lower in each of his last three games — all losses.
Related: Rangers lose third straight, spoil J.T. Miller’s two-goal return with 6-3 loss to Bruins
3 Rangers takeaways from 6-3 loss to Bruins
Here are three takeaways from the game Saturday:
J.T. Miller scores two in Rangers return, but it’s not enough
There was plenty to love about the return of J.T. Miller. The 2011 first-round pick of the Blueshirts scored two goals less than 24 hours after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks. He was noticeable right away, getting shots on goal early and providing physicality to the first line. Miller finished with two goals, six shots, three hits and a minus-1 rating in 18:48 of ice time.
It would have been nice to get the win for Miller, who was the most impactful Ranger on the ice, but defensive lapses and poor special-teams play ultimately cost them the win. Nonetheless, Miller’s debut was a great sign for the Rangers going forward. He seemed to fit right in and contributed in a big way. No. 8 should end up as a key component as New York continues to push for the playoffs.
Rangers PK loses battle against Bruins’ woeful power play
If there was any battle that the Rangers needed to win against the Bruins, it was shutting down their power play, which has been among the worst in the NHL. Heading into Saturday’s game, the Bruins were 30th in the league with the extra man — and they were going up against the Rangers’ fourth-ranked penalty kill.
But instead of shutting down Boston’s power play, the Rangers’ penalty-killers gave up two goals. Boston scored the game’s first goal two seconds after a 5-on-3 advantage expired, but the real dagger came when the B’s capitalized on another power play to make it 4-1 in the final minutes of the second period. The Rangers ended up 1-for-3 on both the penalty kill and power play, two areas that could have swung the game in their favor with better performances.
Wild-card gap is growing after three straight losses
The Rangers still have 31 games to play, but losing this one really hurts in terms of the wild-card race. The Bruins, who entered the day one point out of the second wild card, extended their lead over the Rangers to six points. New York is stuck at 52 points, 13th in the Eastern Conference, six points out of the second wild card, which is now held by the Tampa Bay Lightning — the B’s and Bolts, who lost 3-2 in overtime to the New York Islanders, each have 58 points; however, Boston has played three more games.
The Rangers did a great job of climbing back into the playoff picture by starting January 8-1-3 after bottoming out in December, but they’ve stalled out over their past three games. Failing to get at least one point against the Colorado Avalanche last Sunday in a 5-4 loss that was decided with 15 seconds left in regulation time is turning out to be a back-breaker, especially since they’ve lost the next two games by a combined score of 10-3.
The Rangers don’t have much time to regroup; they return to Madison Square Garden to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday; to say they need a win would be greatly understating the issue. After that, they’ll get a chance for revenge against the Bruins when Boston comes to the Garden on Wednesday.
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