The Rangers Wild fall from grace signals defensive depth problem

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.

A Wild turnaround and Kreider’s milestone:

In 29 seconds, Minnesota scored twice in the second period, cutting the Rangers’ lead to 3-2. The Wild’s comeback started with a close call for the Rangers. Jonathan Quick made an initial save on a shot from former Ranger Mats Zuccarello. However, Quick lost his stick, and the puck took a fortunate bounce, hitting the post. Ryan Hartman was in the right place at the right time, cleaning up the rebound and cutting Minnesota’s deficit to 3-1.

Just moments later, the Wild struck again. Joel Eriksson Ek found himself in the perfect position to tap in a goal, further narrowing the gap to 3-2. Quick lost his stick again, and Vincent Trocheck didn’t step up on Brock Faber, allowing him to find his linemate for the tally.

A bright timeout by Blueshirts head coach Peter Laviolette attempted to slow things down. He felt the tide turning, and so did the fans. As it always does, the Wild goal song implores fans to “shout,” and they obliged. It’s the state of hockey. They’re so passionate about the game that even high school tournaments sell out their favorite team’s arena. They’re constantly competitive in college hockey. They demanded top effort from the professionals and weren’t pleased in the first period, booing their team off the ice. Their heroes had responded.

The two rapid goals set the stage for what was to come. The Blueshirts were on their heels for the rest of the contest. Only Quick was why New York stayed alive in front for the rest of the middle frame, as they were outshot 13-5.
The Wild continued their comeback. Zuccarello scored again, and Marco Rossi gave the Wild their first lead of the night with 14:40 remaining.

Yet just when things seemed bleak for the Rangers, Chris Kreider stepped up with a clutch goal. He deflected a shot from Panarin to tie the score at 4-4. The goal meant more, though.  It marked a personal milestone for Kreider, moving him into fourth place on the Blueshirts’ all-time goal-scoring list with tally #273, passing Andy Bathgate. He’s seven shy from tying Adam Graves for third place, which should happen soon. The 32-year-old led the team with eight goals through 11 games. The tally also marked the fourth even-strength tally for the Blueshirts.

Yet just when things seemed bleak for the Rangers, Chris Kreider stepped up with a clutch goal. He deflected a shot from Panarin to tie the score at 4-4. The goal was more than just to connect. It marked a personal milestone for Kreider, moving him into fourth place on the Blueshirts’ all-time goal-scoring list with tally #273, passing Andy Bathgate. He’s seven shy from tying Adam Graves for third place, which should happen soon. The 32-year-old led the team with eight goals through 11 games. The tally also marked the fourth even-strength tally for the Blueshirts.