The New York Rangers end their pre-holiday schedule tonight in DC. The Rangers was brutal, and that is being kind, Sunday in Nashville, falling 2-1 to the Predators. Matt Rempe and Gabe Perreault, who missed the loss Sunday with an illness, skated this morning and are slated to be back in the lineup. Sitting, and hold onto your seats, looks to be Conor Sheary, though I would not have a problem if he was on the fourth line with Brennan Othmann on the third and either Jonny Brodzinski or Taylor Raddysh.
Sunday, New York went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen with JT Miller sidelined as well as Perreault/Rempe out with illness. Yesterday, the team promoted Brett Berard due to the absences, though all signs – based on the lineup below – is that he will sit. Riddle me this then Batman, why call him up other than to have another option available. Therefore, then send him down and let him play daily at Hartford.
Game recap:
Rangers lineup at morning skate in D.C.:
Panarin-Zibanejad-Lafrenière
Cuylle-Trocheck-Perreault
Brodzinski-Laba-Raddysh
Othmann-Carrick-Rempe
Gavrikov-Schneider
Soucy-Borgen
Robertson-Morrow
Shesterkin
Quick
Adam Fox (red non-contact jersey) skating with Urho Vaakanainen (presumed extra).
A few thoughts:
1) Jonathan Quick was the only positive from the game as he was brilliant. If not for his performance between the pipes, the score would have been a lot worse than 1-0 with two minutes left. Once again, the team left Quick out to dry, which has been the case much of the season. He has been the better of the two goalies this season between him and Igor Shesterkin and deserves more playing time. Plus, I wonder if he has an outside shot as a US Olympic Team extra.
2) The offense was offensive. No sustained attack. An inability to break out of the defensive and through the neutral zone. Failure to create traffic in front of Justus Annunen. If you thought 5×5 was bad, the power play was worse. It was so bad that Scott Morrow was replaced by Vladislav Gavrikov on the point in the third period and that did little to help. Adam Fox cannot return soon enough.
3) All of these changes are like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, minimal impact. The lack of depth and high end skill has been telling. GM Chris Drury and management need to decide if the time has come to pull the plug and rebuild or keep patching over the holes with the hope that stability occurs. By staying so close to the playoff break line, my guess is that team brass will opt to add at the deadline rather than really build for the future, leaving us with the good game, bad game routine the rest of the way
Why would we add? This team has so many holes 1 or 2 players isn’t going to change anything. Start the rebuild and admit drury’s vision was a disaster before it even began.
This is where replay loses me. That’s a joke to make that a goal.
Even with the surprise win last night against the Caps, this team is just a .500, playoff bubble team who loves to get out shot and rely on Igor.
Agreed, though that may be enough for them not to punt. My view is we get a better sense as to which direction they go 4-5 gams after Adam Fox returns. If the same style of play is what takes place on the ice, then a clearer path will be visible. New column up today.
Perrault is helping the overall line rotations. Makes them a little deeper up front which has ultimately been the problem this season. Get miller and Fox healthy, the PP has been horrible without them both, and make a playoff run. The flu bug hit the at the wrong time but they seemed to come out of it in decent shape, that was a big win last night. Let’s hope it catapults them into a solid second half. The easy so jumbled there is no reason they can’t make the playoffs if they put some streaks together.
They’re good. Just very inconsistent. How many teams have ever had 14 road wins and 5 home wins halfway through a season. It’s the weirdest friggin thing. I don’t get the malaise at home. It makes no sense
Happy Holidays to you all!