Resilient Rangers Push Point Streak to Five Despite OT Heartbreaker

The five game point streak lives but this one stings. The New York Rangers have had their fair share of tough losses this season, but Tuesday night's 3-2 overtime defeat to the Colorado Avalanche at a sold-out Ball Arena in the Mile High City, wasn't what we're used to seeing. It wasn't a blowout or a collapse. This time, they battled hard for 58 minutes, apparently had it in the bag and then got beat late.

For most of the night, the Rangers felt in control. Even when the Avalanche dictated play, the Blueshirts stayed disciplined. The physicality was there, and the visitors fired constant rubber toward MacKenzie Blackwood, including seven shots during one power play in the second period alone. Colorado didn't make it easy to enter the zone, but New York made things happen once they arrived.

The Fourth Line and Sam Carrick

The fourth line looked like a first line for a night. Sam Carrick, Adam Edstrom, and Matt Rempe were relentless, and their hustle paid off. Carrick's short-handed goal in the first period tied it after Parker Kelly took advantage of sleeping Chris Kreider in the slot, and put the Avalanche ahead first .

Last week, Carrick stripped Jack Hughes of the puck before beating the New Jersey Devils in overtime. In Vegas, the veteran assisted on Edstrom's game-winning goal. Tuesday, he stripped another superstar in Norris Trophy front-runner Cale Makar and scored a shorty.

The $1 million AAV man is doing what the lucrative players on the Blueshirts aren't: scoring clutch goals. It's something head coach Peter Laviolette noticed and gave his bottom line ice time in a tightly contested third period. In the second, Edstrom took Carrick's outlet feed and beat Blackwood from the hash marks, putting the Rangers ahead 2-1. Meanwhile, Igor was solid, shutting down quality chances from Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon, and finished with 23 saves.

Unfortunately, the big boys were quiet when it counted. Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, and Alexis Lafrenière didn't step up, and the Rangers' power play struggled again, even with a chance to win it in overtime. Laf had a great setup late in the game but couldn't hit the net, Vincent Trocheck missed a couple of breakaways, and Zibanejad saw his fair share of chances miss the target.

Defensive Unit

Defensively, the Rangers were stellar, protecting the high-danger areas not allowing the Avs high-octane stars to get their cookies. However, it only takes one mistake. With 1:13 left, Colorado tied it at 6-on-5. Artturi Lehkonen snuck one through on the doorstep. It was a—soft rebound, a clear sightline, and a goal that Shesterkin should've stopped. Ryan Lindgren's weak clearing attempt and failed boxout down low turnover didn't help either.

Still, the Rangers had an overtime power play after Mikko Rantanen interfered with Adam Fox but did nothing. Mika had a glorious chance on a breakaway, yet Blackwood came up big—just as he did all night, part of a 26-save evening. Moments later, Toews sent the raucous 18,037 home happy with a one-timer off a feed from MacKinnon.

Shesterkin made some great saves earlier, but those two late goals hurt. A goaltender of his $11.5 million AAV caliber must make those stops. While other factors contributed to the Blueshirts' loss, this one falls on the highest-paid netminder in hockey history. Two hundret feet away, Blackwood essentially stole the victory for Colorado. He showed why the recent 5 year, $5.25 AAV million extension he received after being rescued from the league-worst San Jose Sharks, via trade was a worthy investment. The "Wooden Tandem", with Scott Wedgewood who the Avalanche acquired from the Nashville Predators backing up Blackwood, have been a breath of fresh air after Alexander Georgiev, now in San Jose, couldn't stop a beach ball.

Where do we go from here?

It's a frustrating defeat for the Rangers, especially when Avs coach Jared Bednar said his team was "terrible." Imagine hearing that after they still managed to win. Laviolette praised his team's effort, but the loss highlights a lingering issue: no finishing instinct. Great teams find ways to win, even when they're not at their best. The Blueshirts are improving but haven't fully rediscovered their powers.

The spirited loss is a gut punch, but don't let it distract you from the fact we're seeing an identity. These Rangers are starting to show signs of life. They got the standings point in this one and are on a five-game point streak. It's nice seeing them take pride in wearing the iconic sweater again. Let's see how they respond on Thursday against the Utah Hockey Club.