Rangers Vs. Lightning: The Rangers Were Giving So The Lightning Took
Notes from the Rangers loss to the Lightning.
- First of all, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're very quickly reading this before getting ready to drink a lot of drink and eat a lot of eats. You're all awesome. Seriously. Have a wonderful time with your families.
- As for the game, here's my positive way of looking at things: The Rangers hit two posts, lost by one and played a really bad game. Couple that with the fact that the Lightning are one of the best in the NHL and, well, it was an improvement over the game last week.
- I feel like I should mention this here. Callahan now has four goals and an assist in two games against the Rangers this year. Good for him. He wouldn't be doing these things in New York, though. I made this joke last time these two teams met: Steven Stamkos is a lot like makeup, of course Callahan looks better with him.
- Despite the fact the Rangers scored three goals in the game, they had 11 shots on goal entering the third period and finished the night with 19. The Rangers lowest total on the year was 16 ... recorded last week against the Lightning.
- Call it beating a dead horse, but you can throw a hearty amount of blame on Tanner Glass. He was the guy who didn't cover Callahan at all on the Lightning's third goal and the guy who lost the puck right in front of his own net without any pressure from any Lightning players on the fourth goal.
- And you know who is going to sit against the Flyers? Probably Jesper Fast because this is how predictable Alain Vigneault has become.
- And I will continue beating this dead horse until it's fixed. It's not the ONLY problem the Rangers have but it's a big one and one with an easy solution. Lee Stempniak will play Friday, he should be playing for Glass. He won't be, it will be for Fast, and the cycle continues.
- Dan Boyle scored his first goal as a Ranger on a pretty power play cycle, there's more of that to come. He also hit a post and was generally a monster all night.
- Derek Stepan, Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello were some of the best forwards, I thought. Derick Brassard was fine, too. The third line of Carl Hagelin, Kevin Hayes and Anthony Duclair drove possession all night. And yet they're not playing more. Make sense of it however you will.
- Enough negativity on Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with you and yours.
