3 Rangers takeaways from 4-3 loss to Maple Leafs that further damaged their playoff hopes
The New York Rangers took another step toward an early summer on Thursday night.
With the opportunity to move back into a playoff spot when the night began, the Rangers played well — but not well enough to beat one of the best teams in the NHL. The Toronto Maple Leafs won their fourth straight visit to Madison Square Garden by taking advantage of mistakes by the Rangers before hanging on in the final minute for a 4-3 win.
Make no mistake: The Rangers played light years better than they did on Tuesday in a putrid 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames, who outshot them 35-13 and embarrassed the home side on Garden ice. This time the compete level was where it needed to be and the work ethic was there. On many nights, the way they played against the Maple Leafs would have been enough to go home with two points.
But this wasn’t most nights. Toronto is tied with the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division and has three of the League’s elite players in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander – as well as some guy named John Tavares, who’s caused them problems for 16 seasons and led the Maple Leafs with two goals and an assist, giving him 1,100 career points.
Toronto took advantage of Rangers mistakes to build a 4-2 lead after two periods, then held on in the third despite allowing a sixth-attacker goal to Chris Kreider with 34.7 seconds remaining.
A win would have pulled the Rangers (33-31-6) even with the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they trail the Canadiens by two points and are even with the New York Islanders, who defeated the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime Thursday. Having two of the teams they’re battling each get points was the last thing they needed.
So what can the Rangers do as they prepare to host the Vancouver Canucks in a Saturday matinee?
“Try not to be (frustrated) because we have a game at 1 (p.m. on Saturday), so we don’t have much time for crying,” said forward Artemi Panarin, who had a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to 11 games. “We just have to stay together, keep trying to win games.”
Related: Why Rangers mindset needs an overhaul before it’s too late … unless it’s already too late
Three takeaways from Rangers loss to the Maple Leafs
Here are three takeaways from a disappointing 4-3 home loss to Toronto.
1. A bad night to go home empty-handed
For a while, it looked like the Rangers might not lose any ground to the Canadiens (33-27-8) – the Islanders led 3-1 in the third period of a game they needed desperately. But goals by Patrik Laine and Brendan Gallagher forced overtime before Bo Horvat won it for the Isles (32-28-8) at 3:37 of overtime, meaning that both teams gained on the Rangers.
The Rangers also saw the Columbus Blue Jackets (31-28-9) gain a point on them by losing 1-0 in overtime at home to the Panthers.
Even worse is that the Rangers are at a huge disadvantage in games played. New York has played 70 games; everyone else battling for a playoff spot has played 68. That includes the Ottawa Senators (36-27-5), who hold the first wild card. The Senators were pummeled 5-1 at home by the Colorado Avalanche but are still three points ahead of the Canadiens and five in front of the Rangers and Islanders.
2. Little mistakes have a big price
A needless icing in the final 20 seconds of a period. A bad pinch at the blue line. An unchallenged pass between defensemen behind the net that’s botched. Doesn’t sound like much – but added together, they spelled defeat for the Rangers.
The Rangers had tied the game 1-1 in the final minute of the first period and were feeling good as they prepared to head for the locker room all even. But they iced the puck with 18 seconds remaining — and eight seconds later found themselves trailing 2-1 when Bobby McMann went to the net and deflected Jake McCabe’s shot past Shesterkin.
K’Andre Miller had a tough night. His mistimed pinch led to the first of John Tavares’ two goals 12:30 into the first period, and he failed to connect with Adam Fox on a simple pass behind the net late in the second period; William Nylander picked up the loose puck and ended up feeding Matthew Knies for what proved to be the game-winner. Miller and Fox, who spent parts of the night together as coach Peter Laviolette juggled his defense pairs, each finished minus-3.
It’s a pattern that has repeated itself all season – the Rangers have paid a huge price for the inability to do the little things correctly.
“It’s just some mistakes and they’re biting us,” Fox said postgame. “You make some costly mistakes against that team, and they make you pay.”
3. What home-ice advantage?
Madison Square Garden was a house of horrors for visiting teams last season. The Rangers were 30-11-0 on Garden ice, leading the League in home wins and points on the way to winning the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champions.
Fast forward one year and the Garden has turned into a horror show for the home team.
The loss to the Leafs dropped New York to 16-17-3 at home. The Rangers are one of only four teams, and the only one that’s over NHL .500, with a losing record in its own building. That includes an 0-4-1 mark since defeating the Islanders 4-0 on March 3.
For the second straight game, the Rangers were serenaded by boos as the Garden faithful voiced their displeasure as the team left the ice. There were even some chants of “Lavi must go,” from fans who think the coach is the problem.
The Rangers head west for three games in California after hosting Vancouver. Given the way they’re playing at the Garden, that might be a good thing.
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