Was Rangers' humbling loss to Carolina just an off night, or was it more than that?
Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin and defenseman Jacob Trouba look on during a break in action in the third period of an NHL game against the Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
GREENBURGH – Sometimes, it’s more about the mental than the physical. On the day after their humbling, 6-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night, only the two goaltenders and seventh defenseman Zac Jones got on the ice Wednesday at the Rangers’ practice facility. Classroom instruction, and video study were the order of the day.
“It's going back, and you're looking at it again today, a day removed,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said. “Just go back and take another look.’’
All season long, Laviolette has made the right corrections and adjustments as needed. The Rangers are 25-10-1, including 9-1 in games after losses. They will almost certainly be focused and crisp when they host 18-year-old wunderkind Connor Bedard and his Chicago team Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
But a bounce back win over 11-24-2 Chicago won’t erase the sting of losing to the Hurricanes Tuesday.
“Divisional game, (they’re) right behind us in the standings, those games are extremely important, no matter what time of season,’’ forward Vincent Trocheck – a former Hurricane – said after the game. “Those are tough ones to swallow.’’
The Hurricanes’ win pulled them within five points of the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division standings, and seemed to send the message to the Rangers that if they are going to win the division, they will need to go through Carolina, the two-time defending champion.
The Rangers lost Tuesday night largely because their special teams, both among the very best in the league, failed them. Their penalty kill, which on Wednesday was sixth-best in the league, with an 83.6% success rate, allowed goals on their first two times shorthanded. That put the team in a 2-0 hole in the first period. Their power play, No. 1 in the league entering the game, went 0-for-3, and never looked a threat to score at any point.
The question for the Rangers to answer is, was it just a rare off-night – on the same night – for the two special teams units? Or was there something that Carolina, guided by one of the best coaches in the league in Rod Brind’Amour, did to neutralize the Rangers? Was the Hurricanes’ pressing style on the penalty kill a matchup problem for the Rangers’ power play?
“I feel like our (offensive) zone entries weren't very good,’’ Trocheck said. “They (the Hurricanes) did a good job, stacking the line and keeping us (out). I mean, even possession – we didn't have a whole lot of possession on the power play. So, tip your hat to their PK, but at the same time, we’ve got to be sharper.’’
Laviolette on Wednesday talked about the different options a power play has when an opposing penalty kill presses the way Carolina’s does. There’s no one countermeasure, he said.
“It could be putting (the puck) behind them; it could be a different route; it could be better support; it could be executing a play that we didn't execute,’’ he said. “There's different things that go into (offensive zone) entries.’’
No doubt Laviolette will have a plan for how to attack Carolina’s penalty kill the next time the Rangers see it. But that won’t be until March 12. There’s plenty of hockey to be played between now and then.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
