New York Rangers Getting Wild in MSG
By Frank Pickel
New York Rangers Play Host to the Minnesota Wild Tonight
The New York Rangers look to start winning again as the the struggling Minnesota Wild visit MSG. The Rangers played Tuesday night in New Jersey where they lost 3-2, despite an amazing effort from their 22-year-old forward, J.T. Miller.
The Blueshirts were impressive when playing 5-on-5. They played at a quick pace while maintaining a suffocating defensive prowess, holding the Devils to zero scoring chances through 2 periods. The struggle ensued when the Rangers special teams “attempted” to kill man advantages. They even looked poor when they were on the power play, posting another goose egg in the power play goal column.
Overall, they were extremely inconsistent, which seems to be par for the course lately. Here is what the New York Rangers goalie had to say following the loss,
"“”Just regroup here; we go back home next game and try to really get a good win there and get going here.”"
The quote might not do justice to as how depressed Lunqvist looked during his post game interview, but one thing is certain, it seems like the Blueshirts are all on the same page. Ryan McDonagh also commented on the Rangers special teams claiming,”It’s really frustrating.”
I couldn’t agree more with the captain. It is very frustrating to watch a team that absolutely dominates at full strength, but collapses in every imaginable way when they either go on the power play or penalty kill. Enough sulking though, here is what we have to look forward to tonight.
Wild vs Rangers, Tale of the Tapee
.@ChrisBoyle33 examines the @NYRangers ability to find the back of the net: https://t.co/h7JiIckQh5 #NYRonMSG pic.twitter.com/Qydwp4rHYm
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) February 4, 2016
The New York Rangers are currently playing poorly, as we all know, but they are catching a good defensive Minnesota Wild team at an opportune time. The Wild are entering MSG with a record of 23-18-9 and are coming off of a 5-3 loss to the Islanders.
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That loss puts the Wild at a 6-11-3 record since December 19th and adds to their road woes, which tally in at four losses over their last five away games. Mike Yeo, the Wild’s head coach, weighed in on this situation during his most recent press conference, stating,
"“We’re losing the games right now. It’s not like we are playing real well and just getting unlucky. Maybe a couple of games we had but for the most part we’ve had games and we’ve lost them and that’s what we have to fix.”"
The Rangers can take this opportunity and earn their first win following the All-Star break. However, it will not come easy. Rick Nash will miss his fourth straight game with a bone bruise on his left leg. Kevin Klein will also be riding the pine for a while after he endured a fractured thumb in New Jersey.
With the absence of Klein, 23-year-old Dylan McIlrath will get the start for the Blueshirts. McIlrath has only dressed
in three of the Rangers last 14 games, partially due to Alain Vigneault’s unjustified faith in veteran Dylan Boyle and his “ability to create opportunities on power plays”.
McIlrath makes the Rangers better. He is an intense player and doesn’t hesitate to stick up for his teammates. He could be just the kind of fire that brings a sense of urgency into the New York Rangers locker room. Even though the injury to Klien is a big one, McIlrath believes he has what it will take to help the Rangers win. He made this very clear when speaking to the media,
"“I have the belief that I can play a complete game.I don’t worry about what the media or the scouts are saying. I’m just trying to constantly improve. That’s what this whole process has been. The biggest thing at the next level is thinking the game. It’s tough to get away with pure athleticism. One thing I tried to work on down in the minors was letting the play come to me. You can see guys in the NHL that maybe don’t have the best foot-speed, they get away with it because they’re so smart defensively.”"
Puck drop is at 7:00 pm and it will be interesting to see if the Rangers come out with the speed and intensity that they had on Tuesday. If they do and McIlrath is his normal fiery self, then the Blueshirts have a real chance to make a statement during this 4 game stretch. After they play the Wild, they face divisional rivals Flyers, Devils and Penguins. They need to make a push right now, or they risk taking a serious hit in the divisional and playoff standings.