There’s no need to overreact as this series is far from over, but let’s call a spade a spade, the Rangers got utterly dominated in an all around brutal outing. In a perfect world, getting at least one win on the road would’ve been so critical for the Rangers in this series but what’s done is done, can only move on and upward from here.
There were several uncertainties going into last night’s game as the Rangers had Kevin Rooneyn and Dryden Hunt take warm ups with Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Strome both being hurt, questionable to play. Barclay Goodrow would be good to go however, Ryan Strome would not as he appeared to still be in a great amount of distress. I’ve been quite critical of Strome’s performance in these playoffs, but it’s no secret this team struggles when he is out of the lineup and given how the game would go, his absence would only grow heavier. With Strome out, Kevin Rooney would return to his role as the fourth line center, forcing someone in the bottom six up to the top six.
Along with the uncertainties, there were several things that did not go right for this Rangers team last night. They looked tired, they’re obviously hurt and on top of that, the puck seemed to be bouncing all over the place. They couldn’t break the puck out cleanly, they couldn’t get a good, flat feel of it, nothing seemed to be going. However, one of the bigger issues in this game were a couple coaching decisions that only did Tampa favors. First and foremost, I love Barclay Goodrow and I love how hard he plays. However, it’s obvious he’s playing hurt and for that reason alone, he should not be Gallant’s first choice to jump up to the second line. Whatever reasons he had for putting him with Copp and Panarin, Tyler Motte could have accomplished the same goals with healthier legs. The other major problem I had with Gallant and his staff throughout last night’s dumpster fire was putting the fourth line out after almost every TV timeout. You know the old saying, when life gives you lemons? WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU A FREE TIMEOUT, PUT YOUR TOP GUYS OUT THERE. ESPECIALLY, in the offensive zone.
Nevertheless, the Rangers got off to an awful start and two and a half minutes in, Lightning struck. No disrespect to Zach Bogosian, but when Zach Bogosian walks in and dipsy doodles the defense and it results in a goal, that is not a good sign on how the rest of that game is going to go. Sure enough, Pat Maroon put away the rebound off of Bogosian’s backhander to give the Lightning an early 1-0 lead. From that moment on, the Rangers just looked incredibly flat, lacking any and all urgency. Ryan Reaves would get called for tripping a couple minutes after the goal and despite a couple good looks, the Rangers kept the Lightning from getting back on the score sheet. As the period went on, the Rangers played a bit better and although it certainly didn’t feel like it, they actually out-shot the Bolts 10-8. The Rangers last shift of the period was by far their best and gave them the chance to bring some momentum into the second period. Spoiler alert, they didn’t.
Much of the same type of play continued however, around the halfway point of the game, Frank Vatrano dropped the gloves with Brandon Hagel. It’s pretty rare for gloves to drop this deep in the playoffs, especially in a post season where there really haven’t been many textbook hockey fights but I loved this from Vatrano. This team needed something to get them going and clearly nothing else up to this point was working. Vatrano won the fight, the Rangers had yet another opportunity to turn this game around anddddd Gerard Gallant put the fourth line out there. Look, I get it. This team is tired, everyone needs to go, there’s match ups to consider, but there is no reason the fourth line should be your go to line to build something off of. This is a moment where you either put your top line out there or give the kids the shift, it shouldn’t be this complicated.
Another thing worth noting of course is hindsight is 20/20. Who’s to say what happens if other changes are made but looking back at it, this may not have been a bad game to change things up. I love Ryan Reaves, his contributions to this team are arguably as important as anything that has gone right for this team this year. However, he is 35 years old. This team has played a lot of intense hockey over the last month and a half. Tonight might not have been the worst night to give him a day off. Circling back to Barclay Goodrow, you want him in your lineup? Fine, but don’t give him more ice time when he’s clearly nursing a significant injury. Kevin Rooney may not have been a difference maker last night, no one really was, but you can’t tell me he didn’t look significantly more energized than anyone else on the ice. I’m sure in the moment I would’ve questioned it but looking back, Gallant should’ve rolled a fourth line of Rooney-Brodzinski-Gauthier last night and given how the game went, I stand by that statement.
Of course it’s always easy to say what could or should’ve been done when things don’t work out and boy would things continue not to work. Shortly after the fight, Nikita Kucherov found himself on a breakaway and beat Shesterkin to make it 2-0. Shots were 22-15 after two yet the Rangers were still down in the game 2-0. As if things weren’t going bad enough, Filip Chytil took a hit from Victor Hedman that sent him to the Rangers locker room and kept him out for the remainder of the game. So on top of the fact that you’re playing a hurt Barclay Goodrow in your top six, all of a sudden you’re without two of your top three centers. Prior to the injury, Gallant had already begun jumbling the lines around and it only amplified when Chytil went down. You have to hope that one of, if not both will be good to go for game five because in the event they aren’t? The Rangers are going to be in a pretty tough place, relying big time on their top two lines.
The whistles started coming in the third period but it wouldn’t matter. Stamkos made it a 3-0 game less than five minutes in and the Rangers showed zero interest in making a game out of this one. With about four minutes to go, Artemi Panarin, who otherwise had an atrocious night, finally found the back of the net for the Rangers to give a spark of hope that would later be silenced by an Ondrej Palat empty netter, making it a 4-1 game. I hate picking on specific guys, especially our top players but Panarin time and time again made blind passes right to the sticks of Lightning players, constantly turning the puck over. We don’t need to be reminded that we’re playing the two time defending Cup champs, Panarin has to know that he can’t be attempting those kinds of plays. Look at where you are putting the puck.
Winning at least one of these games on the road would have been huge moving forward but it wasn’t going to be easy. The Eastern Conference Final will now come down to a best of three series with the Rangers having that home ice advantage. Game five will be the new most important game of the year and the Blueshirts need to come into it well rested and hopefully healthy. In the event Chytil AND Strome are no go’s, there are lots of interesting options for Gallant to consider. You have to think the next man in is between Dryden Hunt, Johnny Brodzinski and everyone’s favorite veteran, Greg McKegg; however, Julien Gauthier should be in that conversation as well. Sammy Blais, who hasn’t played a real hockey game since November, has begun fully participating in Rangers practices so realistically, he could be an option.
Let’s say no Strome or Chytil, here are some options I would be interested in seeing:
Kreider - Zibanejad - Lafreniere Panarin - Zibanejad - Lafreniere
Panarin - Copp - Kakko Kreider - Copp - Kakko
Motte - Goodrow - Vatrano Motte - Goodrow - Vatrano
Rooney - Brodzinski - Reaves Hunt - Rooney - Gauthier
Realistically? Any of our scratches should be ready to go and a fine option. Remember, we spent the better half of this season with Dryden Hunt as an everyday member of our lineup, oftentimes, in the top six. In the event Strome and Chytil can’t go (which at the time of me writing this, they are considered “game time decisions..shocker) this team will be fine. Shake off the losses on the road and win game five on home ice in decisive fashion. For what it’s worth, Jacob Trouba had a much better game, Igor Shesterkin is still Igor Shesterkin, the team has a day to rest and they are still very much in this fight. Get the next one and only go up from here. NO QUIT.
Chris Feldman
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