‘Brain-dead’ Rangers shredded by broadcasters during 4-0 loss to Devils
A bevy of hockey broadcasters shredded the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon during a dismal 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. To add more insult to injury, three of those analysts who ripped the Rangers actually wore the Blueshirt during their NHL careers.
Former Rangers captain Dave Maloney, the team’s longtime radio color commentator, was first to tee off. At the close of the second period, he cut off play-by-play man Don LaGreca to spit out that the Rangers were done in by a “brain-dead two minutes” in that period.
Maloney referred to brutal play by the Rangers’ special teams, which allowed the first two goals of the game just 1:27 apart. First, it was Timo Meier somehow scoring only four seconds into the Devils’ first power play at 10:56, following a clean face-off win by Nico Hischier in the Rangers end. Then with a chance to tie the game on their own power play, Chris Kreider turned the puck over and the Rangers surrendered a Jesper Bratt short-handed goal off a 2-on-1 rush with Hischier at 12:23.
Other than that, how’d you like the play Mrs. Lincoln?
In an eye-blink, the Rangers went from a scoreless game to being in a two-goal hole. Lest we forget, the Rangers are the only NHL team not to come back and win at least once this season when trailing by multiple goals.
Here’s another fun fact. Since March 3, the Rangers are 2-for-43 on the power play — and have allowed three short-handed goals in their past four games. So, over a month of hockey, the Rangers have been outscored 3-2 while holding the man advantage.
That set up this tirade from ABC studio analyst, former NHL defenseman PK Subban.
“Their power play is abysmal and everybody’s got to take responsibility for that, not just the players, it’s coaching as well,” Subban stated. “You’ve got to put those guys in position to get better. … You’ve got to be disciplined with your structure. … You’ve got to outwork the penalty kill. They’re not doing those things. So, those are simple intangibles. No matter what skill you have on your power play, it ain’t going to work unless you outwork the other side.”
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Rangers great Mark Messier says ‘light’s not on’ for his former team
The Rangers (36-33-7) dropped four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference — the Canadiens rallied in the third period Saturday night to edge the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 at Bell Centre. Each team has six games remaining in the regular season — but Montreal’s next game is Sunday on the road against the Nashville Predators, who are third from the bottom in the NHL standings. The Rangers are off until Monday, when the powerful Tampa Bay Lightning come to Madison Square Garden.
New York started flat again Saturday, and showed no momentum carryover from their spirited 5-4 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday at the Garden and a 6-1 shellacking of the San Jose Sharks on the road last Saturday. Instead, the Rangers face-planted, failing to win a third straight game for the eighth time (0-4-4) since their last three-game winning streak Nov. 14-19.
That stood out to Subban’s studio partner and legendary Rangers captain Mark Messier.
“I watched the Montreal Canadiens win in overtime the other day, and the celebration, they were so excited,” Messier shared. “I watched the Rangers win in overtime and I didn’t see the same amount of excitement and passion for the win. The light’s not on — and I don’t know why.”
That theme was picked up by sideline reporter Ray Ferraro, an 18-year NHL veteran who played part of the 1995-96 season with the Rangers.
“There just doesn’t seem to be that internal drive or fight right now from the Rangers,” Ferraro concluded.
“They seemed resigned (to missing the playoffs), but they’re still in it.”
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