Rangers Vs. Bruins: Beaten By A Better Team
Notes from the Rangers' loss to the Bruins.
- First of all, sorry for the lack of updates this weekend. All of us happened to have had things going on. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you know I was out getting a new puppy. We don't have him yet, but consensus (read: my fiance telling me) the name of the dog will be Stanley. You know, like the Stanley Cup. At least that's how she sold it to me. Little yellow lab. Made yesterday's game more tolerable for sure. Does the Banter need a mascot?
- Anyway on to the game. I think the title really says it all here. The Boston Bruins are simply a better team than the New York Rangers. There's not too many other ways to dissect the two teams. They're deeper, have more scoring depth and played better defense than the Rangers did on Sunday. Recipe for disaster.
- That loss is also why the loss to the Flyers was such a gut-punch. You can't keep dropping points like that. A win over the Flyers would have given the Rangers a five-point cushion and sole possession of second place. That loss, couple with the Flyers' win Sunday and the Rangers loss to the Bruins, now has the Rangers a point back with both teams even in games played.
- In some sense, I agree with the players' overall view that the past two losses had a lot to do with bad bounces. But there's another side to that coin as well. The Rangers dominated the Bruins in the first period. Didn't finish them (aside from J.T. Miller's beautiful goal) and allowed the Bruins to claw back into the game. Then the Rangers were embarrassed the first 15 minutes of the second period, including a two-minute stretch where they couldn't even clear the zone and the Bruins scored. Sure, if a few pucks bounce a little differently maybe the Rangers are up 2-0 or tied 2-2, but you can't get down on yourself when things aren't going your way. The Rangers did and look what happened.
- The power play? Non existent. I know it's just a slump, but the power play has hurt this team big time the past five or six losses. They're getting chances, but no finish. Familiar story yet?
- As for Miller, that goal was something else. Some move to get Tuukka Rask off his line and a calm, pretty finish. He's a very calm and cool under pressure kind of player. He showed it there. I do hope he sticks, too, I think he can make a difference.
- The first line had a wealth of chances in the first period, with Derek Stepan leading the charge. He had a really solid game. I thought Chris Kreider was involved as well. Rick Nash was on and off, would have loved to see more from him but the Bruins did swallow him up pretty good.
- The Rangers really, really, really miss Mats Zuccarello. I know, I know his replacement (Miller) scored, but there aren't many players on the roster who have his vision and ability to create space.
- Was that Ryan Callahan's final game as a Ranger? Trade deadline is Wednesday. Rangers' next game is Wednesday night. Some people think Glen Sather might hold onto Callahan as a "rental" if he can't find the right deal. I don't know how that makes any sense, though. If the two sides aren't agreeing to a deal now they're not doing one over the summer. And while he never had Dan Girardi's trade value, he has a lot more Wednesday than he will before the draft.
- If it was Callahan's last game he's not going to like his final stretch. Four goals in his last 35 games. Doesn't feel like a player who should make $6.5-million+ a year for the next seven years.
- So what do the Rangers do between now and Wednesday? That's the big question, and one we'll try the answer over the next few days. As far as things go right now, though, the Rangers need to wake up and find their game.
