The 2021-22 New York Rangers defy description. They play a dominant 60 minute game against the Penguins then come out and run roughshod over the Sabres….for 10 minutes. They let a non-playoff team get back into the game and take the lead only for the Blueshirts to regain the lead, then blow it on a late third period goal. Then they go out and win in overtime. It’s useless to get too engaged with this team during a game…you are guaranteed to get an ulcer. It’s better to wait until the contest is over since they usually win.
This game reaffirmed a few things we know about the New York Rangers. First, they cannot stand prosperity displaying an uncanny ability to blow early leads. For the second time in three games they jumped out to a first period lead 2-0 only to give it up. Second, they honestly believe that they can come back from any deficit and win. You saw it in this game and if Chris Kreider had scored shorthanded against New Jersey, does anyone think that they couldn’t have come back in that game? Third, they insist on playing to the level of the competition. It may be confidence that they can come back from a deficit, especially against weaker teams that is the reason they take their foot off the gas. They don’t do it (as much) against the top teams.
While the Rangers’ fandom finds these habits perplexing and frustrating, can you imagine what it does to the coaching staff? Gerard Gallant talked about it after the game. “It was probably bad getting off to that 2-0 lead, thought it was going to be easy. Then you fall into that habit, turning pucks over…it’s a mental thing, same thing as in New Jersey. Tonight, everybody was ready to play, they felt good, and then, for whatever reason…it’s hard to turn it off and on. That’s what it looked like happened to us tonight.”
One thing is for sure, they need to be on the top of their game on Tuesday against a motivated Penguins team. The Penguins don’t have that issue. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead on the Red Wings tonight and piled on, finishing with 11 goals.
The Rangers need to develop that killer instinct. It’s happened all too rarely this season. They showed it against the Penguins on Thursday.
You could chalk up some of the Rangers disarray on losing Ryan Strome after one period to a lower body injury. That forced Gallant to shuffle his lines with Andrew Copp moving to center and other forwards to be double shifted.
So, another come from behind victory for “team improbable.” And they will leave us guessing which team will show up on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh and perhaps even more of a question mark, which team will show up in Detroit a night later.