New York Rangers: Outclassed in a 5-1 loss to Calgary
The New York Rangers suffered one of their most one-sided losses of the season as they were thoroughly beaten by the Calgary Flames 5-1. They were outplayed in all aspects of the game.
You could smell this one coming. The New York Rangers started this four game road trip with an encouraging game in Edmonton that they lost in overtime. Bad officiating helped them lose the second game in Vancouver, but they were never really in it. Finally, it was time for a stinker.
Matthew Tkachuk was a dominant player for Calgary and had a piece of all five Flames goals. He is a rare talent and the kind of player that never ends up in a Ranger uniform. Whether it was brilliant passes or outstanding shots, he was better than any other player on the ice. The Rangers let Johnny Gaudreau in on a breakaway (off a great alley oop pass from Tkachuk) and of course, he scored.
It’s hard to believe that the Ranger were actually in this game for a while, tied 1-1 after one period. Poor Alexandar Georgiev was helpless as the Flames scored every possible way. The Ranger defense was unable to prevent the Flames from owning the front of the net and they were able to score on a series of uncontested deflections.
The only Ranger goal was on a very nice play by Ryan Strome. He got to a loose puck, entered the Flames zone and then spun and held the puck until Neal Pionk entered the zone, trailing the play. He fed Pionk who had an uncontested slap shot that he put into the corner of the net past David Rittich.
What a rocket from @NPionk95! We're tied in Calgary!
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That’s how the Rangers ended up tied after one period. The Flames owned the second and third periods. There’s really no need to discuss it, they were that good and the Rangers were that inferior. I won’t say that the Rangers were bad, they were just obviously playing a team head and shoulders better than they are.
Of course, there is a good side to any loss at this stage of the season and it was in the lottery standings. For scoreboard watchers, this was a good but not a great night for the Rangers.
The Lottery Look
It was a big night in the lottery race. In the most important game, the Vancouver Canucks blew a 2-0 lead and lost to the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in a shootout. It seems that the Devils are doing anything they can do to screw the Rangers lottery chances. First they beat Edmonton, now Vancouver. The good news is the one point gives the Canucks 68 points, one fewer than the Rangers who remain in seventh place.
The Anaheim Ducks came though for the Rangers, beating the Colorado Avalanche 5-3. Although the Ducks have played two more games than the Rangers, they now have 67 points and trail the Blueshirts by only two points. At this point, it is VERY possible that the Rangers could drop as low as fifth worst in the entire league.
Here’s what that means for the lottery odds.
Draft Picks #1 #2 #3 #4 #5
5th place 8.5% 8.7% 8.9% — 8.4%
6th place 7.5% 7.8% 8.0% — —
7th place 6.5% 6.8% 7.1% — —
Finishing fifth overall would give the Rangers a 34.5% chance of a top five pick. Finishing 6th or higher means a smaller shot at only a top three pick.
The standings (Worst is first)
Teams GP W-L-OTL PT ROW
1. Ottawa 71 24-41-6 54 24
2. Detroit 71 24-37-10 58 21
3. Los Angeles 70 25-37-8 58 23
4. New Jersey 72 27-36-9 63 25
5. Anaheim 73 29-35-9 67 26
6. Vancouver 71 29-32-10 68 26
7. Rangers 71 28-30-13 69 22
8. Edmonton 70 31-32-7 69 28
9. Buffalo 70 30-31-9 69 26
10. Chicago 70 31-30-9 71 29
11. Colorado 71 30-29-12 72 29
12. Florida 70 31-27-12 74 28
13. Minnesota 71 33-20-8 74 32
14. Philadelphia 71 34-29-8 76 32
15. Montreal 71 37-27-7 81 35
Second East Wild Card Cut Line: 83 points
Second West Wild Card Cut Line: 77 points
Who to root for
The Rangers have a quick turnaround and face the Wild in Minnesota. The Wild are desperate for a win to get closer to the wild card and are looking to break a three game losing streak. Other than the Rangers-Wild game, there are three games that Ranger fans should follow closely.
Oilers @ Coyotes – Edmonton has the same number of points as the Rangers in one fewer game. If they can upset the Coyotes, it will help cement the Blueshirts position in at least 7th place in the lottery standings.
Sabres @ Hurricanes – Same situation in this game as Buffalo has 69 points, just like the Rangers. Where the Oilers have been winning, the Sabres are in a free fall, losers of six in a row with only two wins in their last ten. The Hurricanes lost a tough on on Friday night and will be looking to rebound to keep their precarious hold on a wild card spot.
Blackhawks @ Canadiens – Chicago still harbors faint hopes for a playoff spot and they’ve been playing very well. The Canadiens are in a must-win situation to get back into the wild card. Chicago is only two points better than the Rangers and New York could use more breathing room.
Next. Brendan Lemieux is becoming a fan favorite. dark
With only two games in the next eight days after the Minnesota game, it will be a prime opportunity for their lottery rivals to stockpile some points.