The New York Rangers ran into a record-chasing Edmonton squad on Sunday night and lost 4-1. It didn’t take very long, as Connor McDavid lit the lamp just 50 seconds into the game.
The Blueshirts are now on at 7-7-1 for 15 points in 15 games. They are still in the hunt for the Metropolitan Division, but this current four-game losing streak is hurting them.
Here is an honest breakdown of the lone winner and three big losers from Sunday’s contest.
Winner: Pavel Dorofeyev
The script has been flipped on Rangers forward Pavel Dorofeyev. He has been steadily improving with each game, and shades of last season’s 37-goal performance with Vegas are coming back.
He was the lone goal-scorer for the Rangers, as much of the offense put up some good scoring chances but were stopped. Oilers goaltender Matt Tomkins had a fantastic showing, stopping 27 shots.
Dorofeyev has to keep this going, but the rest of the offense has to back him up. He has three goals and three assists in the Blueshirts' seven losses this season.
Loser: Early defensive coverage and Dylan Garand's support
Pinning this loss on rookie goaltender Dylan Garand ignores what actually transpired in the opening five minutes.
Asking a 24-year-old rookie with 14 career appearances to slow down the highest-scoring offense in hockey is a tall task for any goaltender. Even Igor Shesterkin would have had to buckle down for this one. But New York's defense left Garand completely exposed, conceding a breakaway look to McDavid inside the first minute followed by blown coverage in the slot less than three minutes later to dig an immediate 2-0 hole.
Oilers goaltender Matt Tomkins had a fantastic showing, stopping 27 of 28 shots. Garand gave his team a fighting chance, but his squad failed to provide any early transition support or offensive finish.
Loser: Alexis Lafrenière
It is rare to see Alexis Lafrenière in the losing column. He has been stellar all season long and was on a nice four-game point streak. But it was snapped against Edmonton, and his placement in the losing column is simply due to the fact that he should have been the one to step up.
We have all waited for the ascension of No. 13 to becoming a superstar. Against the league’s best, he should be able to counteract their best, but that didn’t happen in this game. Lafrenière did not rise to the occasion when he was desperately needed.
Loser: Anyone tasked with stopping Connor McDavid
No one facing No. 97 has been able to slow him down, and neither could Garand or the Rangers.With two primary helpers on Sunday, McDavid became the fastest player in NHL history to record 30 assists in a season, needing just 15 games to reach the milestone.
That officially broke a 42-year-old league record previously held by Wayne Gretzky (16 games in 1984-85). Chasing what could very well end up as a 200-point campaign, McDavid is operating at an untouchable level. The Rangers simply became the latest casualty in his historic wake
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