The New York Rangers were defeated 5-4 by the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. The loss was a perfect microcosm of the season’s mistakes, and thus far New York has done nothing to correct their woes.
When the New York Rangers fell to the Montreal Canadiens last night, it was a tough loss to swallow. Ahead 3-2 going into the third period, impassioned by wishing to stand up for Jesper Fast after a dirty hit by Andrew Shaw, the Rangers fell flat. Everything pointed to a big road victory for the Rangers, but instead the Rangers hit the road on a losing streak.
The loss was a perfect encapsulation of what this team is. Let’s take a look.
The Offense Comes Through-
First, let’s start with the good. The Rangers offense had a tremendous game, scoring four goals against an elite goaltender. Carey Price did not look like a Vezina candidate, and that was the Rangers’ doing.
Rick Nash looked like pre-injury Rick Nash, scoring a goal and nearly scoring another on a beautiful pass by Pavel Buchnevich. Buchnevich tallied an assist, now scoring points in six consecutive NHL games. Pavel Buchnevich is 21 years old.
Kevin Hayes assisted on two goals, Ryan McDonagh tied his assist total from the past two seasons, and J.T. Miller now has a seven game point streak. Nine different Rangers scored at least one point, and now seven different Rangers have ten goals on the season. The depth is outstanding. Yet there is more to the story.
The Defense Has Other Ideas-
Henrik Lundqvist had an awful night. One can blame Lundqvist, the defense, or a combination of the two, but Lundqvist cannot go without blame. That’s now 13 goals surrendered in his past three games, and the netminder has looked out of position more often than in position. It’s a concerning trend considering we’re already in mid-January.
Of course one explanation for Lundqvist’s positional woes is the defense in front of him. Lundqvist may feel he has to do more than ever before, overcompensating for a lackluster at best defense. Often this season Lundqvist has been caught glaring at his defensemen, speaking to them about positioning, or even yelling because of screens and/or deflections. His demeanor has changed.
The defense is not altogether awful. Ryan McDonagh has his off moments, but for the most part he is a perennial Norris candidate. Nick Holden and Brady Skjei are fine fourth defensemen and adequate third defensemen. Adam Clendening is a perfect bottom pair defenseman that can aid the offense in puck movement and on the power-play.
With that, there is rightful concern. McDonagh is the only top pair defenseman, and two defensemen were left out of the group. Those two, Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein, are burying this team alive.
New York’s objective each and every night is for the offense to outscore the defense. That is no way to succeed in the NHL, but they have forced themselves into this position, and have not adapted in the slightest.
Meet the new Staal-
Marc Staal has been a fine bottom pair defenseman this season, but Kevin Klein has taken over as Dan Girardi’s partner in crime. Together, Girardi and Klein anchor the defense, draining the Rangers of offensive and defensive ability. When on the ice, the pair are commonly found out of position, chasing players behind the net, and/or coughing the puck over to opponents.
Heading into the season, it was obvious that the Rangers had a poor defense. The expectation was the team would adapt as the season progressed. If Dan Girardi struggled, Jeff Gorton would acquire further help. If Kevin Klein struggled, he would be benched for a superior option.
Instead, the Rangers not only continue to trot out Girardi and Klein, but they continue to give them heavy minutes. Girardi plays on the top pair, Klein switches off between the first and third pairs. With that, the Rangers are forced to outscore their own defensive woes, a task no legitimate cup contender can ask of themselves.
Last night, Girardi and Klein were spurned for four of the Rangers five goals. The team’s depth helped New York score four goals, but the defense handed the Canadiens four goals of their own. Montreal managed one more, so the Rangers went home without a point.
Alain Vigneault has shown intense loyalty to Girardi, but at this point he is hurting everyone involved. Girardi looks helpless out there, the Rangers look worse when he’s on the ice, and he looks inflexible and obtuse. Still, Jeff Gorton has not afforded him with other options, either.
Next: Comparing Today's 4th Line to 2014's
If the Rangers want to go anywhere in the postseason, changes must be made. New York will not be able to beat the top competition with Girardi and Klein playing heavy minutes, and the defense forcing the offense to put up ridiculous numbers. Montreal served as yet another example of that.