3 Rangers takeaways from 5-1 loss to Lightning, including 1st period meltdown
Even when the New York Rangers play better, meltdowns and inability to rebound from adversity typically lead to losses. They’ve failed time and again to show the ability to rise above poor stretches within games.
It’s a big reason why they are on the brink of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
It happened again Monday at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers (36-34-7) did a lot of good things — they took the game 5v5 to the Tampa Bay Lightning with an expected goals share of 64.9 percent per Natural Stat Trick, , recorded 39 shots on goal, allowed only 23, had a whopping 26-3 hits advantage — but still lost 5-1.
Their inability to score when racing to an 11-1 shots advantage or later when trying to rally after falling behind was an issue, of course. But a 1:45 meltdown in the first period when the Rangers allowed three goals — two on Lightning power plays — was the difference in a nutshell.
Not dissimilar to their meltdown against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, when the Rangers allowed a power-play goal and a shorty in a span of 1:27. Like the Lightning game, this one was scoreless when the Rangers collapsed for a stretch. In each example, giving up rapid-fire goals — not just one, but multiple — was New York’s undoing.
Per Peter Baugh of The Athletic, the Rangers have surrendered multiple goals in a two-minute span 23 times this season. That’s sixth most in the NHL, and the other teams already have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Now, here they are. The Rangers remain six points out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Montreal Canadiens, and they’re down to five games left on the schedule.
Jonny Brodzinski summed it up best after the latest loss.
“I think we just got to win out now. It’s no longer a waiting it out kind of thing where we win a game and we’re waiting to see what they do. We need to win out and then we need help, too,” the Rangers forward said postgame.
Related: Jon Cooper, Peter Laviolette among winners, losers from Rangers 5-1 loss to Lightning
3 Rangers takeaways from 5-1 loss to Lightning
Here are three takeaways from the most recent Rangers loss, 5-1 at home to the Lightning.
1. PK not OK
The Rangers failed miserably on their penalty kill Monday, allowing their opponent to score three power-play goals for the first time this season. It was the ninth time overall the Rangers surrendered more than one power-play goal, and the second time in six games.
Their PK, once among the League’s best earlier in the season, is now 12th in the NHL (80.4 percent). The Rangers have allowed eight power-play goals in their past six games covering 19 opportunities.
Each time Monday, they were beaten back door, including one that wasn’t a clean goal by the Lightning but instead was one where Brayden Point won a battle from Vincent Trocheck to jam the puck inside the post past Igor Shesterkin. In that stunning span of three goals in 1:45 that put the Rangers in a 3-0 hole, one even-strength goal was bookended by a pair of crushing power-play goals by the Lightning.
2. No joy, no answers
The stats are telling. The final score is telling. But look at the Rangers and listen to what they say. That’s just as telling, if not more so, that this season is going nowhere.
There was no joy from Mika Zibanejad when the puck deflected off his skate and in for a power-play goal early in the second period. It was an uplifting moment, a sign of life and opportunity with still 26 minutes left to play, now only down two goals. No joy in the moment.
Alexis Lafreniere, who’s shockingly cratered for five months now and has one goal in his past 10 games, two in 25, lost his head and took a 10-minute misconduct penalty for berating an official late in the first period. Maybe he had cause to light up the official. More likely, wicked frustration boiled over for the disappointing 23-year-old.
How about coach Peter Laviolette looking like a zombie for the past month or more. Can’t blame him. He’s getting asked the same questions day-in, day-out, and simply has no answers, and appears tired of providing the same ones time and again. He’s being tuned out by his players and has the looks of someone who knows that.
Then he left the media and Rangers fans to sit on this quote when asked what his message is to the team with five games left and still six points out of a playoff spot.
“I don’t have a message right now. I don’t go into the locker room after the game,” he replied.
An honest answer. But bad optics.
3. Credit where credit is due
Listen, the Lightning weren’t exactly a tour-de-force for a full 60 minutes Monday. It took a tongue-lashing from livid coach Jon Cooper to wake them up after a dreadful start. They responded with that dominating spurt which turned the game around in the first period.
And their best players were the best players in the game. Andrei Vasilevskiy was outstanding, finishing with 38 saves. Brayden Point had two goals and an assist. Nikita Kucherov scored a goal and added two helpers. Jake Guentzel had three assists.
So, give credit where credit due. Even on what was not their best overall night, the Lightning were still a better team than the Rangers.
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