New York Rangers Daily: Not all losses created equal for Blueshirts; Maple Leafs considered Mitch Marner trade
Gonna be a big game Sunday night at Madison Square Garden when the New York Rangers face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette tries to tell you that it’s no bigger than other games his team had to win the past couple months to climb out of the hole they dug themselves to climb back in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
In a way, he’s right. The Rangers (31-26-6) must stockpile points against anyone and everyone. But games against your direct competitors for a playoff spot are extra important, and Laviolette and the Rangers know that. Even if the coach tries to downplay it. It’s not just another game.
Neither was the one they just played in Ottawa on Saturday against the Senators. You know, the one they led 2-0 early in the second period and 3-1 midway through the third. And lost 4-3 in overtime.
Lost points can come back to haunt you. But some are worse than others. This was one of them. Tied in the East with the upstart Senators, the Rangers couldn’t close this one out, and to be honest, largely didn’t meet the intensity of their hosts for most of the contest despite the pair of two-goal leads. You can thank Igor Shesterkin for giving the Rangers a chance to win. That is until even he couldn’t bring this one home. The relentless Senators scoring off a pair of scrambles to tie it.
And that K’Andre Miller own-zone turnover that led directly to Brady Tkachuk’s game-winning goal off a 2-on-1 at just 33 seconds of overtime? Egregious doesn’t even do it justice as a descriptive adjective. Appalling. Putrid. Horrendous.
Whatever, it was the final nail in the coffin, death by a thousand cuts, with one final dagger handed over by the Rangers defenseman.
Does Shesterkin share in the blame? Yes, for sure. The tying goals and then a clear look at Tkachuk’s shot that somehow went right between his pads.
But the Rangers were far from good enough Saturday, even if they almost snuck out of Canadian Tire Centre with two points.
So, here are the Blue Jackets coming to town Sunday. Another young upstart team ahead of the Rangers slightly in the standings. Some games are bigger than others. This is one of them. Again.
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New York Rangers news
Here are three things to watch for when the Rangers host the Blue Jackets, including Artemi Panarin seeking goal in fifth straight game.
Breaking down the winners and losers from the Rangers’ brutal OT loss in Ottawa.
Here are our three Rangers takeaways from that latest tough to stomach loss, including no time to mope with Blue Jackets game awaiting. “We have to be ready,” Panarin said postgame.
The Rangers’ AHL affiliate got smoked Saturday. The Hartford Wolf Pack scored the game’s first goal and then allowed seven unanswered in a 7-1 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
NHL news and rumors
Holy Mitch Marner! Reports surfaced Saturday that the Toronto Maple Leafs approached their pending UFA forward about waiving his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade before the deadline to the Carolina Hurricanes that would’ve brought Mikko Rantanen to Toronto. Marner refused, the Maple Leafs restructured their offer to the Carolina Hurricanes and, ultimate, Rantanen was traded to the Dallas Stars.
Marner went out and scored two goals Saturday but the Maple Leafs lost to the Colorado Avalanche 7-4. Valeri Nichushkin had a hat trick for Colorado.
Nathan MacKinnon became the first player to reach 100 points in the NHL this season when he scored two goals against the Maple Leafs. The Avalanche superstar has 27 goals and 73 points in 64 games.
Roope Hintz of the Stars went to the hospital after a deflected puck hit him in the face against the Edmonton Oilers and his status is unknown.
The Oilers edged the Stars 5-4 despite Rantanen scoring in his Dallas debut.
Ilya Sorokin made 38 saves and the Islanders defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2.
Before the game, Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said “there will be change” this coming offseason with the Isles looking to build a younger talented core.
The Boston Bruins showed a heckuva lot of resolve, shutting out the Tampa Bay Lightning the day after trading away captain Brad Marchand and two alternate captains, Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle, ahead of the deadline.
Speaking of shutouts, Dustin Wolf stopped all 26 shots and the Calgary Flames squeaked by the Montreal Canadiens 1-0.
Vitek Vanecek picked up a shutout in his Florida Panthers debut, 4-0 over the Buffalo Sabres. The Panthers have won six in a row.
Watch Steven Stamkos scores in overtime to put the final touches on his 14th career hat trick in a 3-2 Nashville Predators’ win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
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