Rangers vs. Lightning: Thunderstruck
The Rangers played better. But they still lost badly.
- After a few days off for the players, and a few days of reprieve for us beleaguered fans, the New York Rangers took the ice in Tampa on Saturday night and ... they didn't look completely terrible?
- I fully recognize that's an odd thing to say about a game the Rangers lost 6-2. And maybe even a little bit of an odd thing to say about a first period they ended trailing 2-1. But, it's true. They played with some tempo. They were getting shots on net – 44 total shots on goal in the game. They were doing the simple, positive things that hockey teams need to do to win games.
- If their offensive zone play seemed improved, unfortunately the defensive play seemed just as bad as it's been all throughout this season. It's really kind of incredible. Every Rangers defensive breakdown seems to be catastrophic, and leads inexorably to a goal. And most of the time they're just bafflingly bad plays. Like, how do you just completely lose track of Nikita Kucherov?
Sometimes Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point just look like a cheat code out there 🎮 pic.twitter.com/jkNlcGaaVT
— NHL (@NHL) December 29, 2024
- Anyway, not long after than Vincent Trocheck from behind the net found Artemi Panarin cutting through the slot for a nice goal to tie it up a 1-1. Things were looking up!
- And then, it all went to hell (again), didn't it?
