The New York Rangers’ summer of 2021 was largely focused on becoming tougher to play against. Players like Ryan Reaves, Barclay Goodrow, and Sammy Blais were acquired to bring an element of toughness to the group that seemed to be lacking.
As a result, the 2021-22 season was a no-nonsense type year for this Rangers squad. Players seemed to be playing for each other. Each questionable hit from an opponent was met with a response.
One would think that the deep playoff run during the 2021-22 postseason would add even more gusto to the lineup. Players would know exactly what it would take to achieve success. Yet, the beginning of this season has been anything but what many fans expected. The team has looked passive, even uninterested at times. They don’t seem to play with the pushback they showed all of last season.
A defeatist attitude
Saturday afternoon was a collective display of that aloof reaction. After building a 3-0 lead against the defensively suspect Edmonton Oilers, the Rangers surrendered four goals in the final period to lose the match 4-3 in an embarrassing defeat.
However, the blown lead and lack of mental fortitude is not the only concerning element to come out of that contest. For after the fourth and final Oilers goal, the true lack of pushback was put on full display
Oilers’ goal scorer Leon Drasaitl, after putting the puck in the back of the net and celebrating in the corner with his teammates, began skating to the bench.
The New York Rangers’ captain Jacob Trouba was skating by, with a rather defeated expression I might add, and Draisaitl proceeded to shove past Trouba, knocking the stick out of his hand.
Leon pic.twitter.com/ZlDw1lDAoe
— Smooth Oil (@SmoothOil) November 27, 2022
Trouba did not show a modicum of anger. Not even a few choice words for Draisaitl. He simply kept that defeated expression and politely went to pick up his twig.
Perhaps that is the true issue: politeness. The team no longer has the swagger from last season. The “bye-bye” wave from Igor Shesterkin at the end of a tough matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins toward the end of the regular season has been completely absent.
Some might argue that this is a result of the departure of Ryan Reaves, who was dealt to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 5th-round draft selection.
Though there may be a smidgen of truth to that idea, the Rangers have portrayed this bad habit of crumbling since the second week of the season.
Right the ship
This is not a cry for the acquisition of a goon to keep opposing players in line. This is simply an observation that this group does not seem to be willing to engage.
Offensively, the team is often kept to the outside and downright refuses to drive the opposing net front. Defensively, they have actually been decent, ranking 8th in goals against per game at 2.77 and 5th in shots against per game at 28.5.
Yet there seem to be far too many occasions in which they get pinned in their own zone, far too many instances where they lose battles along the boards. This brings me back to the original point. There is no bite from this squad. There is no extreme desire to own the puck, and do whatever it takes to keep it that way.
Whatever the solution may be, it needs to be found pronto. The season continues to march on, and other teams aren’t as polite as this Rangers group. They won’t wait around to keep New York in the fight.