The New York Rangers kicked off their three-game Western US swing with a 5-3 loss to the Ducks. New York struggled to do much 5-on-5 but did go 2-for-4 on the power play, though they failed on a pair of man-advantages late. Mike Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin extended their point streaks in the defeat. The Blueshirts face the Kings in LA tonight with Jonathan Quick between the pipes to take on his former team, while Carson Soucy also could return to the lineup.
Game recap:
Rangers lines vs. Anaheim:
Perreault-Zibanejad-Miller
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafrenière
Othmann-Laba-Cuylle
Raddysh-Carrick-Brodzinski
Gavrikov-Schneider
Robertson-Borgen
Vaakanainen-Morrow
Martin
Quick
Scratches: Rempe, Mackey, Soucy (personal, not listed on roster right now)
IR: Shesterkin (lower-body injury)
LTIR: Edström (lower-body injury), Sheary (lower-body injury), Fox (lower-body injury)
A few thoughts:
1) Execution, execution, execution: mistakes lead to goals. This was the case again on Monday. A pair of turnovers, first by Braden Schneider and then an egregious one by JT Miller, who tried a blind pass to the middle to try and hit Gabe Pereault, resulted in a pair of in-zone turnovers and an Anaheim goal that tied the game at two. In the third, down 3-2, an inability to clear the zone, including an attempt up the boards by Matthew Robertson, led to Cutter Gauthier’s goal from the slot.
These are items that can and should be cleaned up. Mistakes will always be made. Some are due to pressure, so they are forced errors, but unforced ones or those caused by tacit pressure need to be cleaned up. That’s not a talent issue, but an attentiveness to detail one.
2) The stat below – which needs to be updated following Vladislav Gavrikov’s goal that Panarin assisted – shows just how much of the offense runs through and is driven by Zibanejad and Panarin. Once Panarin is dealt, and especially if Vincent Trocheck joins him, all the pressure will fall on Mika and JT Miller. If concerns exist now as to how inconsistent the offense has been, wait…
3) One positive is the growth of Gabe Perreault, especially away from the puck. One play in the first period last night evidences this. The puck was turned over at the Anaheim blue line, leading to what looked to be a 2-on-1 break. Perreault hustled back, was in the right spot and broke up the rush and scoring chance. Anticipation, awareness, comfort level on the ic,e and growth all were on display in just that one event.
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