3 Rangers takeaways following another loss to last-place opponent
There’s a lot to know about the New York Rangers current freefall, which now stands at 11 losses in their past 14 games. But if you want one simplistic takeaway, it’s this: the Rangers lost two games in the past eight days against an opponent sitting in the basement of the NHL.
That’s last overall. As in, 32nd out of 32 NHL teams.
Last week, it was an inexplicable 2-1 loss at Madison Square Garden to the Chicago Blackhawks. Tuesday, it was a 2-0 shutout defeat at the hands of the Nashville Predators.
You would have made a lot of money if you bet at the start of the season on that 1-2 parlay. And how about scoring one goal combined in those pair of defeats?
It’s really unbelievable how far the Rangers (15-15-1) have fallen. And there may not be an end in sight with the a game Friday at the Dallas Stars, followed by a pair of division contests against the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils before, thankfully, the NHL holiday break.
To be fair, the Rangers were better in many areas against the Predators. But playing without leading scorer Artemi Panarin again, the Rangers managed only 17 shots 5v5, were nearly doubled up in high-dangers scoring chances overall (18-10) and couldn’t solve a very sharp Juuse Saros.
Better was not good enough against a team that’s won only nine games all season.
Related: Mike Rupp blasts Rangers brass for ‘bull—- surrounding the team’
3 takeaways from Rangers 2-0 loss to Predators
Here are three takeaways from the Rangers latest loss Tuesday in Nashville.
1. More chasing
For the ninth time in this 14-game funk, the Rangers allowed the first goal of the game Tuesday. They’ve lost each of those nine games and are now 3-13-1 when the opponent scores first. Yikes. Whatever happened to “No Quit in NY?”
OK, they didn’t quit. But you get the point. The Rangers are an easy mark these days after they fall behind, which they do far more often than not (outscored 15-7 in the first period the past 14 games). At this point, their collective confidence is as low as possible, and it’s equally painful to watch them play during games and try to explain what’s going on afterward.
And this isn’t just because Panarin was absent from the lineup for a second consecutive game. These same issues were around with him playing a top role, too. Right now, there is not a single difference maker offensively for the Rangers.
2. Kaapo Kakko’s response
Kaapo Kakko got some things off his chest pregame, telling reporters how upset he is about being scratched Sunday against the St. Louis Blues. It’s clear Kakko feels singled out and that other players deserved to be scratched ahead of him.
All of that is fair. But back in the lineup Tuesday, Kakko certainly didn’t look like a long-term answer for the Rangers. It’s not that he was bad. In fact, that’s almost never the case. It’s more that the 23-year-old is fine, doesn’t kill you, doesn’t provide a huge lift either. He is what he is, a third-liner with some skill and size, who can be largely trusted at both ends of the rink, even if coach Peter Laviolette only gave him slightly more than 10 minutes TOI against Nashville.
Kakko just doesn’t score goals, though. He’s got four on the season in 30 games. He had three shots on goal Tuesday and six attempts, some good looks, including once when Adam Fox found him at the bottom of the right circle and Saros pulled far out of the cage. With a lot of net to shoot at in a 1-0 game late in the first period, Kakko missed. Partly because of defenseman Adam Wilsby, who tried to fill the goalie role. And partly because that sequence kind of sums up Kakko.
There are teams interested in Kakko around the League. It might be best for the player and team if Kakko is traded to get a fresh start and the Rangers perhaps can get a useable piece in return.
3. By the numbers
Urho Vaakanainen made his Rangers debut after being acquired nearly two weeks ago from the Anaheim Ducks in the Jacob Trouba trade. Paired with Chad Ruhwedel, Vaakanainen was, by and large, not so bad. He and Ruhwedel were on for Nashville’s game-opening goal, following a Ruhwedel turnover at the offensive blue line. But they were OK as a third defensive pair.
Vaakanainen logged 15:06 TOI, including nearly two minutes on the penalty kill and 50 seconds on the power play. The 25-year-old had a 0.59 xGF at 5v5, per Natural Stat Trick.
Vincent Trocheck had New York’s best scoring chance, a short-handed breakaway late in the second period. But Saros made an excellent glove save to keep the score 1-0. Trocheck led the Rangers with seven hits and won 14 of 20 face-offs (70 percent).
Another quiet night for Mika Zibanejad, who had six shot attempts, though only two on goal. He played a bit more than 17 minutes TOI but was on for both Predators goals and is now a team-worst minus-17 this season.
Fox logged a team-high 27:11 TOI and led all players with five blocked shots. Speaking of blocked shots, the Predators blocked 28 in front of Saros.
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