New York Rangers: The Waiting is the Hardest Part

The New York Rangers kicked off one their most anticipated seasons in years this past week and really dialed up the excitement to a whole new level after winning their first two games.  Now, an insipid week-long layoff leaves fans with little to do but wait and reflect.

Game 1 – Winnipeg

I have to admit, after watching Lias Andersson bite it during the pregame ceremony on opening night at the Garden, I did think that his crash and burn was a foreshadowing of what the entire New York kRangers team was about to experience at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets.

While the Jets were not putting the same team on the ice that they did last year, they still had all the key components of the squad that David Quinn said at one point last year was the best team the Rangers had faced. They still had Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor.  These guys were going to feast on a young and inexperienced Rangers team.

True enough, those players helped the Jets dominate the Rangers for long periods of time on opening night.  All told, that group accounted for eight points, including all four of the goals the Jets scored. But this Jets team was significantly different on the defensive end, where the loss of Jacob Trouba and Dustin Byfuglien soon became painfully obvious for Winnipeg, and a big fat gift for the Rangers.

Andersson’s pre-game pratfall became nothing more than an afterthought, as the Rangers pulled out a highly entertaining win that was incredibly satisfying on so many levels.  Mika Zibanejad  raised his game to the next level, Artemi Panarin was nothing less than as advertised, and those two combined with Pavel Buchnevich simply looked fantastic together.

Kaapo Kakko did not disappoint either, the only really discouraging aspect of the game was that we just did not see him with puck on his stick nearly enough.  Of course it didn’t help that Ryan Strome took two penalties in the first seven minutes, but once the second line center situation gets settled, there is nowhere to go but up for the Ranger rookie.

One clear area for concern was the Rangers penchant for giving up quick goals after scoring one of their own.  This issue hounded the team last year, and obviously is still a lingering issue.  Let’s hope this gets cleared up quickly.

Another concern were the defensive units.  Adam Fox and Libor Hajek appeared as if they had never played together at all.  The duo far too often attempted passes to each other that were way off the mark.  Brady Skjei….well, where have you gone Brady Skjei? Please come back soon.

As for Henrik Lundqvist, the King wears the crown, but he still gave up the one soft goal that has plagued him far too often over the past few years.  This one came just nine seconds after the Rangers had taken the lead for the third time. But as is usually the case, the King stood strong when the team needed him most.

All told, opening night really could not have gone better.  Well, maybe it could have gone better for Lias Andersson, but at least when we see his highlight reel digger, it will be in the context of a very rewarding win.