Everything we talked about going into Game 4 was everything this Rangers team did not do. There truly are not enough words to describe how embarrassing of an effort last nights performance was and as a result, the entirety of the series played at the Garden thus far was a disappointment. The Rangers returned home with the opportunity to wrap this series up in four and instead, they falter, dropping Game 3 in overtime and follow it up with a gutless outing that lead to the Devils tying up the series. The top players didn't perform, the power play continued to be a non-factor and nobody stood out or showed significant signs of life throughout those sixty minutes.
Look, before we rightfully scrutinize everything that went wrong last night I will note this series is far from over and who knows, maybe the Rangers benefit from playing with their backs to the wall. However, it is beyond words frustrating that this team had an incredible chance to make things easy for themselves and take a dominant grasp on this series.. Instead, they blew it on home ice and it's a whole new series that is now limited to a best of three. Sure they aren't behind in the series and have been in all kinds of situations where they had no choice but to step it up last year but if you're going to be a team that is truly contending the way we should be, blowing a 2-0 lead on the series in round one to a team you otherwise had a complete chokehold over is extraordinarily unacceptable.
Thus, let's take it from the top. The Rangers problems began very shortly after puck drop as shocker, they lost the face-off and looked like a bunch of fish out of water trying to get their bearings following that. Kane tries throwing a backhander to Zibanejad which is interrupted by John Marino and the Devils take an odd man rush the other way. Constantly trying to do too much with the puck, failing to get the puck out of their own zone, failing to get to center to get the puck in the Devils zone and to top it all off, they spent the majority of the game playing lackadaisically on both sides of the puck. These are the simplest things that are quickly becoming this teams downfall.
I'm going to hit on the points that Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin need to be much better but right before the shift that led to the goal; Artemi Panarin lazily dumps the puck into the Devils zone without ensuring that he got to center ice which leads to a Rangers icing. This is the kind of crap this team needs to result in this group taking a good long look in the mirror and figuring it out before they step on that ice for Game 5. That and the constant missing of the nets and immediately looking for passes the second you enter the zone needs to stop. To the Devils credit, they are a good team. This East to West BS is not going to work. The Rangers BARELY had any activity throughout the night in and around the net/slot area. COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.
Sure enough, Panarin ices the puck and the Rangers lose the face-off. The Rangers can't make a pass, can't clear the zone, can't do anything. That line changes, they struggle to get out of their own zone again but when they finally do, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil get an odd man rush. Kakko opted to shoot the puck which honestly, is a decision I was more than okay with because we all know what happens when he as well as anyone else on this team tries to get too pretty making all these extra passes. They get another chance on that rush and then the game was pretty much decided right then and there. Jack Hughes gets a breakaway, beats Shesterkin and the Garden may has well have become a library. Any and all energy was gone, from the fans, from the players, from everyone.
Again, the Rangers had every opportunity to shift momentum and get things going but their power play has become a non factor as two man advantages came and went with nothing. The big thing here is that the Rangers have taken Mika Zibanejad out of his usual area where he's set up for one timers. It's time to put him back there, especially given how invisible he has become through the first four games of this series. I hate to harp on the guy, he's one of my favorite players on this team and same can be said for Panarin but for the love of god, this is playoff hockey. These two guys are two of our top players, you make a combined $20 million, you need to do something out there. The second period was essentially a snooze fest as the Rangers had six shots on goal through that period, putting the tally on the night 16-16 headed into the third.
Another guy who going into this game needed to find another level was Vincent Trocheck and perhaps the lone positive to come from this disaster was the fact that he was able to contribute. For a very brief moment, the Rangers showed a spark as Vincent Trochcek slammed home a lose puck in the slot to tie the game up 100 seconds into the final period. Only problem was, this team didn't build from it. Continued to not get anything done, couldn't generate anything, it was like they were playing game 14 of 82. I know they care, I know they want to win just as bad as the fans do, probably more so, but the thing that sends me in a spiral is they don't seem to show it! The Rangers were credited with 24 hits throughout the night and I could remember maybe four of them. For as bad as our power play is going through it right now, the penalty kill has been fine. Being afraid of taking a penalty is a copout. HIT SOMEBODY. Start something after a whistle. SHOW SOME LIFE. Not after tying it but once Jonas Siegenthaler regained the lead for the Devils, that's when you need to put it into high gear and play with some anger.
That being said, this team has a lot of work to do before Thursday and will certainly benefit from the extra day off. I'll save my list of things this team needs to do for then but in the meantime, a lot of guys need to sit down and watch that tape from last night because there is a lot of work to be done.
Chris Feldman
Comments