New York Rangers Daily: Kicked in the gut at MSG, Alex Pietrangelo withdraws from 4 Nations Faceoff

NHL: Colorado Avalanche at New York Rangers
Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers haven’t done much losing in the month of January. But when they do lose, it always seems like a real kick in the gut.

The Rangers are 7-1-3 in their past 11 games and 8-2-3 in January. That kind of success has vaulted them right back into the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference. But each of those defeats has been gut wrenching.

That includes a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday at MSG. They somehow allowed a 3-on-1 rush in the final seconds of regulation, and Artturi Lehkonen scored with 15 seconds to play. That Lehkonen’s goal came shortly after Artemi Panarin had tied things up — the second time New York rallied from two goals down — just adds to the pain of this loss.

This follows blown third-period leads and overtime losses to the Dallas Stars, Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens earlier in the month. So, yeah, lately when the Rangers lose, it’s in a very deflating way.

Such was the case Sunday.

But it’s a quick turn of the page for the Rangers. Practice Monday, then a visit from Mikko Rantanen and the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, trying to close out a largely successful month on a positive note.

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New York Rangers news

NHL: Colorado Avalanche at New York Rangers
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Kicking away valuable standings points (again) heads our three takeaways from the Rangers’ loss to the Avalanche.

The loss aside, that was a really entertaining matinee at The Garden on Sunday. Here are the highlights:

Will Borgen scored a goal Sunday, his first game after signing a five-year contract to remain with the Rangers.

It was a lost weekend for the Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. Their 4-2 loss to Springfield on Sunday capped three defeats in three days.

NHL news

NHL: Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will not play for Canada after he withdrew from the 4 Nations Faceoff “to tend to an ailment and prepare for the remainder of the regular season.”

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg will have a hearing with NHL Department of Player Safety on Monday for a hit to the head of Detroit Red Wings forward J.T. Compher in Saturday. Lilleberg received an interference penalty on the play.

The Athletic reports that after helping facilitate the Mikko Rantanen trade from Colorado to Carolina, the Chicago Blackhawks could be major players this summer when Rantanen becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The Blackhawks, meanwhile, continue to struggle this season — next to last overall in the NHL — following their seventh loss in eight games, 4-2 to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.

Brady Tkachuk scored his first goal in 11 games to help the Ottawa Senators move into third place in the Atlantic Division with a 3-1 win against the Utah Hockey Club.

Before the game, the Senators received word that forward Nick Cousins will be “out for a little while” following an accidental knee-on-knee collision in a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

The Calgary Flames continued their woes on the second half of back-to-back games this season, when they lost 5-2 to the Winnipeg Jets.

Watch Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi score his second goal as part of a four-point night against the Flames.

Jim Cerny is Executive Editor at Forever Blueshirts and Managing Editor at Sportsnaut, with more than 30 years of ... More about Jim Cerny
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