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Rangers embarrassed by San Jose in final game of road trip; Time for a reality check
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After faltering late against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, the Rangers (40-23-8) played one of their worst games of the season, getting completely and utterly dominated by the hottest team in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks (39-25-6). New York closed out the road trip with a 4-1 loss at the SAP Center.
Almost everything about this game was terrible. The puck movement from the defense was awful, with the tangent of Girardi and Staal playing decidedly bad tonight. They allowed 52 shots on net. FIFTY TWO! They only had 26 shots on net. There were potentially two extended offensive zone shifts for the Rangers in the entire game. Only the fourth line finished positive in possession, and the team was collectively a -21 Corsi For. Nothing positive came from this game, and the Rangers limped through this road trip with a 1-1-1 record. Read the rest of this entry
Upping the Antti: Raanta blanks the Sharks on home ice
Bobby Bevilacqua
Antti Raanta was thrilled to get his first win as a Ranger. Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Talbot who?
The Rangers (4-2-1) got an excellent performance from their backup goaltender Antti Raanta in his debut in blue, making 22 saves in a 4-0 win over the San Jose Sharks (4-2-0), snapping their three game losing streak in the process.
The Rangers really took the phrase “put up or shut up” to heart. After some criticism from media, their coach, and themselves, the players completely turned things around, playing their first complete, 60 minute game of the season.
There’s also a bit of déjà vu for Rangers fan. Last year on October 19th, the Rangers beat the Sharks 4-0 at MSG for their first this win of the season. Exactly a year to the day later, they did the exact same thing.
Antti Raanta turned aside 22 shots for his fourth career shutout, and his first win as a Ranger. Raanta became the first goalie to record a shutout in his Rangers debut since November 2, 1957 (Marcel Paille). Raanta has also been superb in home games, posting a 15-0-3 record with a 1.51 GAA, a .944 save percentage and four shutouts in 20 career home games.
Must win? Rangers take on soaring San Jose Sharks at the Garden
Bobby Bevilacqua
The Rangers will look to get back on track against the sharks at MSG> Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After just six games into the season, it’s certainly too early to deem a game as “must win.” But with all of the concerns surrounding the team’s performances in their last three games, the Rangers would surely like a feel-good win.
The Rangers (3-2-1) will look to snap their three game losing streak against the San Jose Sharks (4-1-0), who are proving their doubters wrong after five games. Dan Girardi stated that the Rangers “need to stop the bleeding at three [losses],” and a rebound game is needed.
This game comes exactly one year since these two teams last faced off at Madison Square Garden, a game in which the Rangers came away with a 4-0 win. Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis scored four seconds apart, and Kevin Hayes scored the first goal of his NHL career. Henrik Lundqvist picked up his first shutout of the season.
The Sharks couldn’t meet expectations last season, failing to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2003, and just the second time in 17 years. Since the end of last season, they hired a new coach, made some offseason moves, assigned a new captain, and are off to an excellent start to begin the season. Read the rest of this entry
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