After falling to the San Jose Sharks 3-2 in overtime, the Rangers have now met their first point of panic. Without overreacting, this is now a time for concern regarding Peter Laviolette‘s everyday lineup moving forward. The lack of consistent productivity and suspect goaltending are just two problems that New York has with just two more games before the All-Star break. Sure, it’s only one loss, but now is a perfect time to respond with some sort of change.
Whether if that change comes in the form of line shake-ups or a shiny, new toy, it has to be imminent. Blowing a two-goal lead to the last place is alarming, and that is not an overreaction whatsoever. One line cannot win you a Stanley Cup, nevertheless a division. As of late, only a few players have been going above and beyond what they are called to do. The others are examples of a bland product that needs some revamping. The All-Star break cannot come soon enough for this squad. Below are a few frustrations highlighted during this most recent road trip.
Rangers Cough Up Lead to be Downed by the Sharks
One Solid Line Cannot Win It All
If Rangers fans were given a nickel each time that Vincent Trocheck‘s line was complimented, we’d all be pretty wealthy. With the injury to Filip Chytil, Trocheck has grown into the second center role to perfect. So much so, that he was awarded a spot in this years All-Star Game in Toronto. Being the best face-off taker in the NHL plays a part, posting an impressive 62 percent of his draws won. His two linemates are another reason why he got the nod for Toronto, with one playing his best hockey yet.
Vincent Trocheck notches his 30th assist of the season and 300th of his career.
— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) January 24, 2024
Turnovers aside, Artemi Panarin is playing lights out as of now. Sitting currently at 29 goals, 34 assists totaling 63 points, “The Breadman” continues to impress night in and night out. The only problem with that is his shoulders must be bothering him for carrying the team these past few weeks. Excluding the previously mentioned Trocheck and possibly Lafrenière, Adam Fox and Will Cuylle, the team needs a spark of some kind.
Rangers Need More From Other Lines
It is frustrating to hear that one line is playing to their full potential when New York possesses four of them. Yes, the fourth line is the checking line, but each line gets their chances to notch an important goal almost every game. The first line is now under the microscope to see if they can rejuvenate their play in the second half of the season.
Kaapo Kakko, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad now have no reason to step their games up. Kreider has a solid year, earning 22 goals to his name thus far. The other two are the concerning factors. Can Zibanejad score at even strength? Will Kakko gain the confidence to shoot the puck more? It seems as if only time will tell. The first line, simply, needs to play like a first line. There is no more time for hiding anymore. It is now time to put up or shut up.
Inconsistent Goaltending Can Be A Problem
Two years out from winning his first Vezina Trophy, Igor Shesterkin is now drawing more uneasiness to his game. Earlier in the year, it was mentioned that maybe Shesterkin was getting the Jacob deGrom treatment, with no offensive support whenever he starts. Now, it might just be the fact that it’s he himself who is also inconsistent.
A prime example of this came in Tuesday night’s loss to the Sharks. On San Jose’s first goal, Erik Gustafsson turned the puck over behind Shesterkin, with Nico Sturm notching only his third goal of the season. Despite it being a foolish mishap from Gustafsson, Shesterkin was caught in “No Man’s Land.” His head needs to be on a swivel at all times, there it was not. The only positive is that there is plenty of season left for Igor to return to his stellar form that he possesses in his arsenal.
Nico Sturm cashes in on the brutal Rangers turnover, bringing San Jose within 1!#SJSharks pic.twitter.com/icT29RRERv
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 24, 2024
With all of this being said, New York remains in first place. They still have a five-point lead over the second-place Philadelphia Flyers, who have lost three straight games. The Blueshirts will look to earn revenge over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. Vegas dismantled New York last Thursday in the first game of their road trip 5-1. The unofficial Broadway Revival starts now.
Puck drop is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. EST from The World’s Most Famous Arena.
Main Photo: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
