Rangers can’t maintain strong start, lose 4-2 to Kraken: takeaways
It didn’t take long for the New York Rangers to get the home crowd up on its feet and cheering Monday night. But by time the final buzzer sounded, those same fans booed the Rangers off the Madison Square Garden ice, following a 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
The Rangers (20-21-6) raced to a 2-0 lead less than six minutes into the game, and carried that advantage into the second period. But it was the Kraken who scored the next four goals, including Shane Wright’s go-ahead tally at 12:02 of the third period to hand the Rangers their seventh loss in the past eight games (1-5-2).
New York recorded 11 shots on goal in the first period, and only 10 more the rest of the game. That included one by J.T. Miller on the doorstep in the final minute of regulation that was denied by Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer. Soon after, Kraken center Jared McCann scored an empty-net goal to finish off the Rangers, who remain stuck on five home wins (5-12-4), least in the Eastern Conference and second fewest in the entire NHL.
Mika Zibanejad extended his point streak to six games by scoring his team-leading 18th goal for the Rangers. Sam Carrick added his second of the season, and first in 36 games dating to Oct. 28. Jonathan Quick finished with 26 saves.
Former Rangers Kappo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren each picked up an assist for the Kraken in the first game for both at MSG after being traded in separate moves last season. Eeli Tolvanen and Jordan Eberle also scored for Seattle, which is 9-1-2 in its past 12 games.
The Rangers and Kraken found themselves tied 2-2 after two distinctly different periods of play to start the game. It was New York which got off to the fast start, before Seattle answered back with a strong second period.
Zibanejad scored his third goal in the past three games, at 3:08 of the first period to give the Rangers the start they needed after the embarrassing 10-2 shellacking against the Bruins in Boston over the weekend. His first shot off the rush on right wing deflected off Grubauer and behind the net. Zibanejad chased the puck, and from the trapezoid made a heads-up play by banking a shot off the back of the Kraken goalie and into the net to make it 1-0.
Shortly thereafter, a failed Kraken breakout led directly to another goal by the Rangers. Seattle turned the puck over just outside its own blue line, and Carrick took advantage. New York’s veteran center pounced on the puck, and quickly wristed a low shot from left wing that beat Grubauer stick side to make it 2-0 just 5:31 into the game.
That 2-0 lead held up into the first intermission, thanks to Quick, who made several big-time saves, including a pad stop to deny Ryan Winterton on a breakaway at 12:06.
The Rangers played fast and were on their toes early on, but the visitors flipped the script in period No. 2, holding a 9-4 shots advantage and scoring twice to tie the game.
Tolvanen finished off a 2-on-1 feed from Freddy Gaudreau just one minute into the second period, after Gabe Perreault failed to control a Braden Schneider pass in his skates and turned it over in the neutral zone.
The Kraken tied it up 2-2 at 4:27, when Eberle wired a shot bar-down after deking Quick to the ice, for his team-high 16th goal. Kakko set it up with a clean pass from behind the Rangers net to Eberle, who was between the circles.
Brennan Othmann nearly answered back on the very next shift, but his snap shot hit the post behind Grubauer. The Kraken also caught iron at 3:07 of the third period, when Cale Fleury’s long shot clanged off the crossbar, and the game remained tied.
Nine minutes later, the Rangers failed to get the puck deep at one end and then were caught scrambling at the other. In the ensuing scramble after Quick denied Berkly Catton, Wright barged in and shoved the loose puck over the goal line to give the Kraken their first lead, 3-2.
Seattle then shut down New York on its second power play of the game at 12:28, and survived that late chance by Miller, after Quick exited the ice for a sixth attacker. McCann’s empty-netter removed any doubt about the final result with 8.6 seconds left on the clock.
Key takeaways after Rangers‘ 4-2 loss to Kraken
‘Fragile’ Rangers can’t maintain strong start
This wasn’t Saturday afternoon, when everything that could go wrong did, and the Rangers folded in a modern-day Boston Massacre. But what took place Monday was also disconcerting, especially how the Rangers simply couldn’t maintain a strong start and carry it over to the final 40 minutes.
There were warning signs in that first period. Quick made several Grade-A saves in order to keep it 2-0. But the Rangers looked deflated after the Kraken scored 60 seconds into the second period. And there really was little pushback the rest of the way from the home team, who lost for the first time this season when leading after the first period (12-1-0).
Zibanejad used a damning — yet spot-on — term, to characterize where the Rangers are at right now.
“When you’re fragile as a group, in a way where things haven’t gone your way, I’m not standing here trying to make excuses for us but it’s trying to also explain what goes through your mind when things are not going for you. Maybe at times we’re looking at someone else to solve the problem. … That doesn’t work in this league,” he said postgame.
Welcome back
First Lindgren, then Kakko, were welcomed back in the first-period on the center-ice videoboard at MSG. Lindgren played the first 387 games in the NHL with the Rangers, who traded him to the Colorado Avalanche on March 1 last season. Beloved by Rangers fans for his grit and toughness, Lindgren received a warm ovation Monday. As did Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, who never became the star everyone envisioned he’d be over six seasons with the Rangers. Kakko was traded to the Kraken in December of 2024.
Kakko tied for the Kraken lead with three shots on goal Monday, had two hits, logged 15:26 TOI, and had that good-looking assist on the game-tying goal. Lindgren had a team-high 22:13 TOI, earned the secondary assist on Wright’s game-winning goal, blocked two shots, and made several heady defensive plays in the closing minutes of the game. Each was plus-2 against his former team.
Rough night for J.T. Miller
The Rangers captain wears these losses in heavy fashion. Yet game after game, he’s there trying to say all the right things afterward. Monday, he simply couldn’t bring himself to try and answer postgame questions.
“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I don’t know,” the despondent Miller told reporters Monday.
It’s the personal and collective frustration that’s got Miller looking beat right now as the Rangers season goes off the rails.
Miller failed to record a single shot attempt — much less shot on goal — against the Kraken. He played nearly 19 minutes, despite getting smoked by his teammate Schneider in an accidental collision midway through the second period, which caused him to head to the dressing room and miss the start of a Rangers power play at 12:53.
Utter Otter frustration
Othmann, who was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Sunday, played his best all-around game for the Rangers this season. The 23 year-old forward was noticeable throughout, skating on the third line with Noah Laba and Alexis Lafreniere. He was physical and engaged, credited with a team-high four hits over 12:08 TOI.
However, Othmann remains without goal. Not only in seven games with the Rangers this season. But in 32 NHL games over parts of three seasons. But boy he came close Monday. Twice.
The 2021 first-round pick hit a post early in the first period, and kissed more iron in the second period. The pained expression on his face each time he wired a shot off the post spoke to the utter frustration he’s feeling.
But keep playing and shooting like he did against the Kraken, and Othmann’s bound to finally break through soon.
