The New York Rangers lost their second game of the year and first on home ice by a score of 2-1 to the Detroit Red Wings. For a box score, click here.
I know it’s only game four but I’m just going to assume that will be one of the most frustrating losses of the year. I don’t care that Jimmy Howard once again played out of his mind on Madison Square Garden ice. There’s a reason he is now the Red Wings backup instead of starter. It’s because he can be beat.
You can call me spoiled, a homer, delusional, whatever you want. I expect the Rangers to win a game like that. There is no reason the Rangers shouldn’t win a game like that. No excuses.
After the game were the usual quotes:
We did everything right.
Their goalie was the difference.
We play like that every night, we’ll win more times than not.
Funny, they said the same thing four nights ago so apparently that isn’t the case. I am going to sit here and assume this team will win because I believe in them. But the players can’t assume that. They can’t assume because they think they’re the better team, that they will automatically come out on top. Doesn’t work that way. I know there aren’t a lot of the 2011-12 Rangers left but that team was on the other side of that equation and the remaining players should remember how that worked out. It’s absolutely inexcusable for them to not get a point tonight.
I don’t even know what else to say.
I’m more of an eye test over stats person but the stats don’t lie tonight – 74 to 44 in shot attempts. 74 attempts and only one hit the back of the net. Again, I know what Jimmy Howard has done in the past. But he’s beatable. And if this keeps happening, it will start to creep into the back of their minds and we all know what happens when confidence goes down.
I guess I should find some positives (besides the fact they attempted more shots than there were minutes in the game).
Good to know the off-season acquisitions worked out as I’m pretty sure the Rangers were more of a threat shorthanded than on the power play. That sounds sarcastic but the Rangers focused on their penalty kill over the summer. Tonight the penalty kill looked great. The power play looked like last years’ power play, or power kill as I like to call it.
I don’t really want to point out any specific players but in the past I’ve been hard on Kevin Hayes. He played well tonight. It’s too bad he can’t find the net unless the puck deflects off the goaltender first.
Otherwise, I don’t know what else to say. This should’ve been an easy, happy recap. There’s no reason the Rangers should have lost that game.
(Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
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