New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning- About Last Night 12/2

Cam, we need you.

Last night, the New York Rangers were beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3, in a game in which they didn’t play bad, but didn’t get the goaltending or defensive work they needed to win.  Even though it may have been their “best” game against the Lightning this year, a loss like this is still bad.  Here’s a few key story lines to take away from last night’s loss:

Ben Bishop: The Ranger Killer

They just can’t beat this guy, can they?

Ben Bishop was victorious again last night, moving his record against the Rangers to 8-0-0.  The last game against the Lightning wasn’t terrible, as the Rangers actually scored three goals on Bishop, but did not put nearly enough pressure on him.  These past two games go to show that he is human, but once his team gives him a lead, it’s hard to get it back.  A Vezina trophy finalist last year, Bishop continues to show that he is one of the league’s top net minders.  He especially comes to play whenever he plays the Rangers, and that has showed this season.  He has given the Lightning three wins in three games, and he continues to have his way with this Blueshirts team.

Henrik Lundqvist Needs to be Better

Henrik Lundqvist has not looked good this season.  He has had some good games, and even a great game here and there, but overall, he has not played like the Vezina winner he was just a few years ago.  After giving up just two goals last game against Philadelphia, he gave up five on 20 shots last night.  In the three games against Tampa Bay, he has given up a total of 14 goals.  In no way is that good enough.  After getting his $8.5 million per year contract, you would think that Lundqvist would play like he deserves every cent of that deal.  Instead, he seems like your regular, run-of-the-mill goaltender.  I know he is know for being a slow starter, but after 23 games, you need to get your game straight.  Sure, he couldn’t stop all of those pucks last night, but when he needed to make a key save, he couldn’t deliver.  He will bounce back, don’t worry.  Let’s just hope it’s sooner rather than later.

The Young Players are Starting to Produce

The Rangers young players, J.T. Miller, Jesper Fast and Kevin Hayes, have all shown promise at some point during the season.  Miller has definitely received the most heat from Rangers fans, but I don’t think he had been given a real opportunity.  With Tanner Glass out of the lineup, he was recalled from Hartford to try and make an impact, and he did.  On Saturday against Philadelphia, he finished with a goal and an assist, and was even named one of the three stars of the game.  Fast has scored two goals in two games, also showing promise on the fourth line with Miller and Dominic Moore.  Hayes has also shown that he can play at this level, but the most important thing is that he seems to be getting better with each game she plays.  Instead of waiting too long to take a shot, he throws the puck towards the net and looks for a rebound.  Last night, both Hayes an Fast scored goals, while Miller was in on the fore-check and created a few good plays (when he had the ice time).  Overall, if these rookies keep up their good play, they will stay in the lineup.

Overall, last night was not the best game played by the Rangers this season, but it also wasn’t the worst.  That being said, the team needs to step up their game a bit more to compete with elite teams like the Lightning.  They definitely have a ton of talent, so now let’s see of they can really take it to the next level.