New York Rangers: Stock market risers and fallers from 1/1-1/7

Down: Playing a Full 60

The Rangers have struggled to play a complete game for the better part of the last two seasons. The team scores one or two goals and then hunker down to protect the lead. This is not the mentality of a winning team.

Championship teams tend to have an explosive offense that never stops pressing. They continue to build on their lead and keep the puck in the offensive zone. Doing this allows for fewer defensive errors because the puck isn’t in the defensive zone.

The Ranger’s problem is that they rest on their laurels. In the Winter Classic, Paul Carey scored just under five minutes into the first period. Michael Grabner scored his 18th goal of the season a few minutes later. Once Grabner scored to make it 2-0, that was it. The Rangers shut off their offense and went into a passive defensive shell.

For the rest of the game and for almost all of the game against the Blackhawks, the puck was pinned in the Rangers zone. The team was not as lucky in their game against the Blackhawks where they lost 5-2, a score inflated by two empty net goals.

The Rangers need to learn that their complacency with a lead is a recipe for disaster. Expecting Henrik Lundqvist to bail them out every game is not the way to win consistently. For the most part, I believe this issue is a matter of coaching and could be solved with a change in personnel. However, the players themselves need to stop this complacency. The team needs to want to be better, not just expect good things to happen.