Blue Line Station
Fansided

The Rangers Wild fall from grace signals defensive depth problem

By Marvin Azrak

ST PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 13: Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck while Zac Jones #6 of the New York Rangers defends in the second period of the game at Xcel Energy Center on October 13, 2022 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Rangers defeated the Wild 7-3. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
ST PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 13: Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck while Zac Jones #6 of the New York Rangers defends in the second period of the game at Xcel Energy Center on October 13, 2022 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Rangers defeated the Wild 7-3. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Discover the key takeaways from the New York Rangers’ thrilling clash with the Minnesota Wild, featuring Quick’s heroics, shootout drama, and their resilience.

It was a night of highs and lows for the New York Rangers as they faced off against the reeling Minnesota  Wild in the State of Hockey at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild were looking to end their four-game losing streak. At the same time, the Rangers needed a morale boost, especially after learning that they would be without defenseman Adam Fox (Lower body injury) and Fillip Chytil (Upper Body injury)  for a few weeks.

Ultimately, Minnesota rallied for a 5-4 shootout victory, snapping the Rangers six-game winning streak. That said, the fact they got a point, considering how they played, feels like a miracle.

A Fast start:

The Rangers didn’t waste time in getting on the board. The new-look fourth line of Jimmy Vesey, Nick Bonino, and Tyler Pitlick contributed with a quick goal. Artemi Panarin extended his point streak to eleven, and Erik Gustafsson added another goal, giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead early in the first period. The three-goal barrage in 3:17 chased Filip Gustafsson from the game.

It wasn’t like the Blueshirts were doing anything unusual, though. Yes, all three goals came at even strength. Minnesota wasn’t being aggressive enough more than New York taking it to them. “I didn’t think we were playing outstanding hockey,” captain Jacob Trouba said of the start.

After Gustafson departed with -2.58 goals saved above expected on the game, bringing his overall mark to -6.7 for the season, in came Rangers nemesis Marc Andre Fleury, and from there, things went downhill. Minnesota played like a team in desperation. They upped their intensity and were relentless on the forecheck. Although they didn’t score on their three first-period power plays, it gave them and the sellout crowd life.

The undermanned Blueshirts were overwhelmed all night, aside from the first seven minutes. That stellar defense the team was known for during their winning streak was nowhere to be found.

Home/Rangers News