3 Rangers takeaways after special teams debacle paves way for 6-2 loss to Lightning
TAMPA —The New York Rangers didn’t lack for effort in their first game back after the four-game Christmas break. The problem was that the improved effort yielded the same old results.
Five days after a dreadful performance in a 5-0 road loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Tampa Bay Lightning made the Rangers pay for every mistake they made Saturday night at Amalie Arena in a 6-2 victory. It was the Rangers’ third straight loss and 14th in 18 games after a 12-4-1 start. The loss, combined with the New York Islanders’ 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, dropped the Rangers into last place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Rangers outshot the Lightning 44-25 and generated plenty of good looks at the net. But the visitors were playing catchup for most of the night; they fell behind by allowing a power-play goal 2:27 into the game, got even on Artemi Panarin’s first goal in eight games at 9:23, but allowed a shorthanded goal by ex-Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh at 18:11 that put Tampa Bay ahead to stay.
Still, the Rangers outshot the Lightning 17-6 in the opening period, had 30 attempts to 14 and outhit Tampa Bay 9-4, so they had every reason to believe that the game was there for the taking.
Then the wheels fell off.
Brayden Point capitalized on a blown coverage by Jimmy Vesey and scored to make it 3-1 at 3:35 of the second period; Anthony Cirelli finished off a 2-on-1 break for the Lightning’s second shorthanded goal of the night at 5:02; and Jake Guentzel eventually was credited with a power-play goal off a scramble at 8:08. That ended Igor Shesterkin’s night; Jonathan Quick finished up.
To their credit, the Rangers didn’t quit. Vincent Trocheck scored a shorthanded goal 13 seconds into the final period and they pushed the play for much of the last 20 minutes. But Andrei Vasilevskiy was flawless the rest of the way, and Nick Paul’s goal with 5:48 remaining merely added insult to injury.
“Result-wise, it’s not what we wanted,” center Mika Zibanejad said. “If the result isn’t there, it isn’t going to matter how the game goes. I don’t think it was a 6-2 game. Special teams – we don’t score on our power play, and we let in two goals. We put ourselves in a bad spot. I don’t think it was the effort.”
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3 takeaways from Rangers 6-2 loss to Lightning
Here are three takeaways from the Rangers loss on Saturday.
1. Tough night for Igor Shesterkin
This was a game the Rangers No. 1 goalie will try to forget – quickly. He was outplayed by Vasilevskiy, a fellow Russian, especially in the first period, when New York dominated play. The biggest goal of the night was McDonagh’s shortie, when the defenseman’s shot from the right circle on a 3-on-1 break snuck between Shesterkin’s right arm and body for his first goal of the season.
When asked if the goalie change was because of Shesterkin’s play or a move to try to inspire his team, Laviolette said simply, “the game.”
It was, in the words of thousands of hockey announcers over the years, “one that Igor would like to have back.”
Shesterkin didn’t have much of a chance on the three second-period goals before Quick relieved him. But the cry of “Vasy’s better” echoed through Amalie Arena as Shesterkin sat down to watch Quick finish the game.
It’s hard to criticize Shesterkin, whose play has been the biggest reason the Rangers are within hailing distance of a playoff berth — though he’s now been pulled in two of his past five starts and has a 3.06 goals-against average this season.
But let’s say this game is a reminder of what life is like when he doesn’t have his “A” game.
2. Special teams are especially bad
The Rangers’ penalty kill was best in the NHL before allowing three goals on four opportunities in the Devils debacle. The PK’s struggles continued against the Lightning, who scored on their first two chances – each with fourth-line center Sam Carrick in the box.
Trocheck’s shorthanded goal was little more than a consolation prize.
The power play had four chances and failed to score. The Rangers are now 0-for-20 with the extra man in their past seven games; throw in the two shorthanded goals by the Lightning and the PP is actually a minus during that span.
“Special teams are supposed to be a strength of our team,” forward Chris Kreider said. “They were a detriment tonight.”
3. Trying to keep their spirits up
Unlike the recent losses to the Devils and Los Angeles Kings (5-1 on Dec. 14), when the Rangers mailed it in after falling behind badly before the midway point of the second period, they didn’t roll over after the Lightning went up by four goals. After Trocheck’s goal cut the margin to 5-2, the Rangers kept on pushing, forcing Vasilevskiy to make 42 saves (18 in the third period), the most he’s had this season.
“I thought we played pretty good in the first period,” said defenseman K’Andre Miller, who returned after missing six games with an upper-body injury. “We’ve all been in games where we’re losing. I don’t think just because we’re losing in a game, doesn’t mean we’ve lost the game. That’s something this group maybe has lost a little bit. That pushback.
“I liked our game, I liked what we did overall. I think it’s just we can bring a little bit more.”
It was the kind of loss in which struggling teams can find positives, even when the outcome isn’t what they wanted.
“It’s obviously tough when we feel like we’re doing a lot of good things and then pretty quickly the score gets out of hand a little bit,” Zibanejad said. “It’s a tough one to assess. … I thought the effort was there. It’s just special teams, both ways, honestly.”
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