Fansided

Key Takeaways from Rangers’ Disheartening Loss to Predators, Plus a Star-Studded Surprise

By Marvin Azrak |
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 19: Jonathan Quick #32 of the New York Rangers defends against Roman Josi #59 of the Nashville Predators during the third period at Madison Square Garden on October 19, 2023 in New York City. The Predators defeated the Rangers 4-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 19: Jonathan Quick #32 of the New York Rangers defends against Roman Josi #59 of the Nashville Predators during the third period at Madison Square Garden on October 19, 2023 in New York City. The Predators defeated the Rangers 4-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
1 of 3
Next

Discover the key takeaways from the New York Rangers’ tough 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, and experience an unexpected celebrity encounter during the game!

The New York Rangers had a forgettable night at Madison Square Garden, and the Nashville Predators took full advantage. After their 4-1 win, the Preds’ social media team decided to have some fun, quipping, “Found the quit in NY,” poking fun at the Rangers’ “No Quit in NY” slogan.

The Rangers’ usual spark seemed missing in action in this game. The energy and effort we’d seen in the first three games went on an unexpected vacation. They’ll gain a pass if they are already in West Coast mode, where the team will be for the next two weeks.

That said, the trusty 1-3-1 neutral-zone trap, the brainchild of head coach Peter Laviolette, didn’t show up for the party. And those costly turnovers that have haunted the Blueshirts like ghosts in a haunted house? Yep, 11 of them returned. As one of the 18,006 in attendance, it was a tough scene aside from a run-in with two New York celebrities.

Laviolette summed it up pretty well, saying, “I thought our speed was off. I thought that our competition was off.”

An Icy Wake-Up Call for the Rangers:

The first period started with little enthusiasm. Both teams struggled in the offensive zone. New York’s penalty kill had to step up, and they did the job well. Yet Nashville scored when Cole Smith pounced on the rebound after a point shot by Tyson Barrie. The play began off a Filip Chytil turnover, allowing the Predators to go the other way.

Shortly after, the Rangers had a power play but couldn’t convert. As the man advantage wore down, a K’Andre Miller turnover led to a Smith breakaway and short-handed tally. Miller tried to find Erik Gustafsson. Yet the pass was picked, allowing Smith to redeem his penalty with a goal.

Throughout the frame, the Blueshirts made some sloppy passes, had defensive issues, and limited time in the offensive zone. They were overwhelmed by Nashville’s physicality. Laviolette was right: “We gave up eight odd-man rushes and two breakaways. You have to button that up.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 19: Jonathan Quick #32 of the New York Rangers is brought in during the second period to replace Igor Shesterkin #31 at Madison Square Garden on October 19, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 19: Jonathan Quick #32 of the New York Rangers is brought in during the second period to replace Igor Shesterkin #31 at Madison Square Garden on October 19, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Netminder Nightmares:

Nashville smelled blood in the water and didn’t hold back. They extended their lead in the second period, and the Rangers found themselves swimming against the tide. Adam Fox, not known for penalties, was boxed twice. That second time, Ryan O’Reilly swooped in to make it 3-0.
And then, as if that wasn’t enough, Artemi Panarin took a high-sticking penalty, giving the Predators their second power-play goal.

A Filip Forsberg clapper chased Igor Shesterkin, who had a tough night, allowing four goals on just 18 shots with a -1.14 goals saved above expected. It’s as if someone replaced his goalie stick with a magic wand that let pucks through.

Coach Laviolette decided it was time for a change and pulled Shesterkin. In came veteran Jonathan Quick, making his Rangers debut. Quick stopped all nine shots, but the damage had already been done. Laviolette explained the move, saying, “The game had not gone how we wanted to that point.” “It wasn’t a reflection of the move against him. It was just a chance to get Jonathan some work.”

Rangers’ Urgency is a top priority:

In the twilight of this gloomy matchup, Adam Fox brightened the Rangers’ spirits with a power-play goal in the second period. However, his heroic effort wasn’t enough to overcome a tough night for the former Norris Trophy winner.

The line of Artemi Panarin-Filip Chytil-Alexis Lafreniere struggled mightily, allowing three high-danger scoring changes in 6:22 of ice time. A lineup shuffle placed Panarin alongside Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle as the third period loomed.

A glimmer of hope emerged when Trocheck scored, temporarily narrowing the score gap, but it was short-lived. The unforgiving “offsides” call struck the Blueshirts again, marking the third time they fell victim to this frustrating rule this week. Captain Jacob Trouba spoke candidly about the forgettable night, expressing, “Even if we found a way to win that game, that’s not a game I felt we deserved to win at all.”

“We got outworked. We got out-battled”, Trouba added.” We got out-competed. We got beat. The moral of the game is that we got beat.”

“We’ve got the system,” Chris Kreider said. “We’ve got to move our feet. We’ve got to get people in battles” − but failing to play with the necessary urgency.
This game emphasized the urgency required in hockey, and the Rangers are determined to bounce back on their five-game West Coast trip.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 28: Former New York Ranger Henrik Lundqvist speaks at the podium during his jersey retirement ceremony before a game between the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2022 in New York City. Henrik Lundqvist played all 15 seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers before retiring in 2020. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 28: Former New York Ranger Henrik Lundqvist speaks at the podium during his jersey retirement ceremony before a game between the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2022 in New York City. Henrik Lundqvist played all 15 seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers before retiring in 2020. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

Turning Celebrity Encounters into the Bright Spot of a Rangers’ Tough Night:

So, speaking of urgency, let me tell you about my whirlwind adventure during the game tonight. It all began with a trip to a career fair at Madison Square Garden, where I seized the opportunity to chat with  Rangers and NHL representatives about potential journalism gigs. As a sweet bonus, I snagged a free ticket to Thursday’s game. My initial seat in section 227 promised a fantastic time, but thanks to some connections, I upgraded to prime real estate for the second and third periods.

Here’s where the celebrity twist comes in – and believe me, it was quite the plot twist. Little did I know, just two rows ahead of me in section 107 sat none other than Henrik Lundqvist and Jimmy Fallon. So, I reached out with urgency in my heart and starstruck excitement.

Just before Trocheck appeared to score, I couldn’t resist shouting to Jimmy, “Hey Jimmy, let’s get one!” Now, I had already exchanged greetings with the beloved Rangers netminder at the start of the third period, and it was time to grab the attention of the other celebrity in the area.

Jimmy turned around as the Rangers seemed to close the gap to 4-2 and quipped, “You called it, buddy.” I seized the moment and asked for a photo. Jimmy was a good sport and agreed to a quick snapshot. Yet I wasn’t done there.

With a burst of Urgency, I tapped Hank on the shoulder for a picture with the legendary goalie. Of course, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get one with both. It was a surreal experience watching Lundqvist point out various details on the ice and explain the game to Jimmy.

This unexpected and thrilling moment was like a dream come true, and, in all honesty, it saved what was an otherwise disappointing game for the Rangers. And now, I have a memory for the ages – not to mention some photos to prove it!

Next
Home / Analysis

Schedule