There’s some concern about the New York Rangers, mired in a stretch reminiscent of the past two absolute failures of seasons. Things must be different for the Rangers this time around, as they will need to buck the trend of looking disinterested and unwilling to outwork their opponents. Things must be different for the Rangers this time around as they look to avoid an extended skid that could derail their season. Luckily for the Rangers they are on a break until Sunday. They return to a huge test, welcoming Connor McDavid and and the Edmonton Oilers to MSG.
Make no mistake about it, after a stretch like this the last two Rangers teams would have absolutely folded and spun out into elongated disastrous losses. The past two seasons showed New York was unable to deal with any adversity thrown their way. If this team is to separate themselves, then things must be different for the Rangers as they look to avoid that kind of spin out.
The good news is this season has felt different. Even when star goaltender Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending injury, the Rangers kept playing through it all. Dylan Garand came in and took over where Shesterkin left off. New York’s defense did everything they could to make Garand’s life easier, while the offense provided enough support to win. That was then.
Good vibes can only last so long. Without a competent backup goalie–Spencer Martin is possibly the worst goaltender I’ve ever had to suffer through watching in my entire time watching NHL hockey and James Reimer clearly wasn’t ready last night–Dylan Garand’s excellent play turned shaky, as he was overused for any goalie, better yet a youngster. As Garand’s play dropped, so did that of the rest of the team, whether through fatigue or being unable to handle the ups and downs of games.
Things must be different for the Rangers this time around – there is no savior coming
Nobody is coming to save this version of the New York Rangers. Joonas Korpisalo will be back at some point to platoon with Garand, but Korpisalo isn’t exactly a savior in net. New York has been luckily healthy throughout the offense and defense, with the only major injury going to Joe Veleno. There is no skater coming to save the day. Things must be different for the Rangers this time around, and the changes need to come from within.
With that, it’s on the Rangers we’re watching every night to handle this adversity and fight back. I’m not demanding a winning streak of 10 games or anything crazy. At this point, the Rangers just need to show they are fighting through whatever ails them, winning battles, and avoiding the strings of losses that have plagued them for the past couple of years.
Teams suffer losing streaks all the time and are typically provided with the benefit of the doubt that it doesn’t mean the sky is falling. The Rangers no longer have that benefit of the doubt. It’s time for the Rangers to show that this time is different.
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