Everything went right for the New York Rangers last season.
They finished first in the Metropolitan Division, Eastern Conference, and the entire NHL. The only thing that would have made it better is if they had won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994.
Fast forward to this season and the Blueshirts are a mixed bag. As of this writing (Sunday, November 24), the Rangers are fourth in the Metropolitan Division, fifth in the Eastern Conference, and 10th in the league with a 12-6-1 record (25 points), which does not look or sound bad when looking at those metrics on the surface.
That said, things are much different beneath the surface for the Rangers this season. Last season they looked like a Cup-contending team, but that has not been the case this season.
One might go as far as to say that much like in the last 30 seasons, the Rangers will not win the Cup this season. If you have been watching the Rangers this season, it is easy to see why this could be the case.
For starters, the Rangers are not a very good defensive hockey club. They are currently (as of Sunday, November 24), 29th in the league in shots allowed per game as they give up close to 33 shots (32.6) per game.
In 14 games, Rangers starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin has stopped 405 of the 443 shots he has faced (.914 save percentage). The team’s backup goaltender, Jonathan Quick, has stopped 165 of the 175 shots he has faced (.943 save percentage).
Based on the numbers above, it is clear that the Rangers are taking advantage of the two solid goaltenders they have. Night in and night out, the Rangers are leaving their goaltenders out to dry.
Speaking of the team’s goaltending, Shesterkin, 28, has struggled since looking like the league’s best goaltender early on in the season. Here is what he has done in his last five starts:
- November 7 vs. the Buffalo Sabres: Allowed five goals on 12 shots in a loss.
- November 12 vs. the Winnipeg Jets: Allowed five goals on 32 shots in a loss.
- November 14 vs. the San Jose Sharks: Stopped 25 of 27 shots in a win.
- November 19 vs. the Vancouver Canucks: Stopped 21 of 24 shots in a win.
- November 21 vs. the Calgary Flames: Stopped 46 of 49 shots in a loss.
While Shesterkin has an 8-5-0-1 record with a 2.82 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and one shutout, there is no doubt that he is going to need to be better and more consistent. Shesterkin is known as a slow starter, but with the way the team has played so far this season, they are going to need him to find and keep his form sooner rather than later this year.
Speaking of keeping the puck out of the net and not helping their goaltenders, the team has several defensemen who have not played well this season. K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba continue to look lost on the ice while it appears that Ryan Lindgren has lost a step and has not looked anywhere near like the defenseman he was the previous few seasons.
Secondly, this team is struggling to beat playoff hockey teams. Of the 12 games that the Rangers have won so far this season, only one has come against a team that currently holds a playoff spot (Toronto Maple Leafs).
The Rangers have taken advantage of the easy schedule they were given to start the season. They have picked up victories against the Detroit Red Wings (three), Anaheim Ducks (one), Pittsburgh Penguins (one), Seattle Kraken (one), Sharks (one), Canucks (one), New York Islanders (one), Ottawa Senators (one), and Montreal Canadiens (one).
The team looked terrible when they played current playoff hockey clubs such as the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, Flames, and the Jets. Yes, there were times in those games when the Rangers looked like they could win, but for the most part, they were outplayed.
Lastly, the team has looked very disconnected on the ice this season. Team head coach Peter Laviolette has had to shuffle the lineup a few times already this season, they are not playing well in their own zone, they are not being as aggressive as they were last season on offense, and there seems to be a lot of passengers this season.
On a nightly basis, the Rangers can count on the likes of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere, Will Cuylle, Filip Chytil, and even Kaapo Kakko to work hard every single night to generate offense. These players work hard every night and do everything they can to drive the team.
The same cannot be said of the other players on this team. More often than not, players like Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, and Reilly Smith are far too inconsistent.
There is a lot of hockey left to be played this season, which means that the Blueshirts can right the ship and return to being one of the most consistent teams in the league. Until they do that, however, it could end up leading to a losing result come April.
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