Recap: Rangers Fail to Make a Statement, Lose 5-2 to St. Louis

Arguably the most important game of the Rangers season following all of the trade rumors that dropped earlier in the day. With the future of some of the team’s core leaders in question, the Rangers looked to have a statement game in their return home with a lineup that allowed for younger players to take on more responsibility. One of those young players included Brett Berard who made his NHL debut as the first player in Rangers history to ever wear number 65. 

He and Rempe came into the lineup for Jonny Brodinski and Chris Kreider who is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. While there were some positives from these new lines, the Rangers failed to have an answer for an inspired Blues team and went on to drop their third game in a row. Let’s roll the tape: 

1st Period:

After a bit of a choppy start, the Rangers got an early power play chance as Oskar Sundqvist tripped Reilly Smith in the corner of the defensive zone to take the first penalty of the night. With Alexis Lafrenière slotting in for Kreider on that top unit, the Rangers got some looks but the best scoring chance came from the second unit as Joel Hofer robbed Kaapo Kakko with the glove on a grade-A chance on a one timer. 

After an energetic shift from Matt Rempe and the first line, the Rangers were sent back to the power play as Zack Bolduc was called for tripping Artemiy Panarin. It was much of the same the second time around although the top unit looked slightly more cohesive. As the second unit took the ice and remained out there as the team’s returned to even strength, the Rangers would strike first to make it a 1-0 game. A phenomenal effort from Kaapo Kakko brought the puck back to the point which allowed for a funky shot to go off of Cuylle’s skate to find the back of the net. 

Through the first half of the opening period, it was a much better start for the Rangers. They were out-shooting the Blues, already had two power plays and were controlling the bulk of the play. However, with roughly eight minutes to go another defensive zone lapse from the usual suspects resulted in a fumbled pass that went from Brayden Schenn to a wide open Jordan Kyrou in the slot who fired a shot through Shesterkin to tie the game 1-1. 

Just two minutes later, a massive hit from Adam Edström on Justin Faulk earned him two minutes for boarding. The hit resulted in a bit of scrum but not severe enough for any additional penalties to be assigned. First test of the night for the Rangers penalty killers would prove successful as they fought the Blues off with some help from Igor Shesterkin who was off to a steady night in goal. 

That would about do it for what became a pretty even first period. Both team’s found the back of the net, saw power play chances and tested each other's goaltenders with St Louis having the slight edge in shots 15-14. Shot attempts were tied at 23 apiece with the Rangers ahead in expected goals for 1.27-0.95 and St. Louis in high-danger chances 5-3.

2nd Period:

After a back and forth stretch to start the period, the Rangers got a great shift out of the Kakko line before eventually falling behind on the scoreboard. Yet another shift that ended with the Lindgren-Trouba pairing allowing a goal and Zibanejad watching the whole sequence unfold with little to no visible effort, Bolduc picked up his first of the season on a weird sequence after Shesterkin came up with several saves to try and shut down the scoring chance. 

Just three minutes later, a great hit from Will Cuylle cycled the puck down low to Brett Berard who picked up his first career point on the assist to Cuylle’s second of the night. On the wrap-around attempt from Berard, Zibanejad was able to feed a nice pass over to Cuylle who was pushing so hard towards the net, he ended up on top of it after finding the back of it once again to make it a 2-2 game. 

On the following shift, the Rangers headed back to the power play as Sam Carrick was taken down in the corner by a cross-check from Zack Bolduc. For the third time this evening, the top power play would come up empty handed with the second unit putting together an impressive shift to follow it up. About thirty seconds after the team’s returned to even strength, it would be Carrick’s turn to head to the penalty box as he tripped up Brayden Schenn. No harm associated with the foul as the Rangers were again successful on the penalty kill. 

It would be a tight finish to the second period as both teams had extended shifts in each other's zone with the Kakko line again generating a close to two minute long shift with several scoring chances. As the period came to an end, tensions would certainly rise as a spirited scrum ensued with Cuylle and Rempe at the forefront of it for the Rangers. This continued for quite a while but really picked up when Joel Hofer and Igor Shesterkin brushed each other on their way off the ice, leading to the officials needing to separate the two goaltenders. 

Needless to say, we were in for a can’t miss third period, or at least so we thought. Shots after two were 30-23 in favor of St. Louis. 

3rd Period:

Cuylle and Jake Neighbours started the period in the penalty box with matching unsportsmanlike conduct penalties which gave us two minutes of 4-on-4 to start the final stanza. This worked against the Rangers favor as Brayden Schenn was given a stretch pass and had enough speed to come in all alone, ripping a shot past Shesterkin to make it a 3-2 game. 

Right after the teams returned to even strength, Matt Rempe laid a hit on Neighbors away from the puck that was an easy call from the officials to make, sending the Rangers back to the penalty kill. The Rangers continued their success on the kill and as Rempe returned to the ice, he nearly had a breakaway chance but ran out of time and space before getting hit by Dylan Holloway to break up the opportunity. 

Nearing the midway point of the third, the Rangers were once again losing board battles, struggling to clear the zone and after a weird redirect off a shot from the point, Bolduc fired home his second goal of the night to extend St. Louis’ lead to 4-2. The life that this team desperately needed to show was nowhere to be found with time quickly becoming limited. 

With time fleeting and no tenacity to be found, the Rangers pulled Shesterkin with over three minutes to go for the extra attacker. Thanks to a TV-timeout, the Rangers got a free break to collect themselves as they looked to find a way back in this game. Wouldn’t do anything for them as old friend Pavel Buchnevich walked the puck into the wide open net… 5-2. 

Third loss in a row, third game in a row where the Rangers allowed over 40 shots on goal but the thing that doesn’t sit right the most is the lack of life from so many key players on this team. Lindgren and Trouba are borderline unplayable, Zibanejad is a total shell of his former self, outside of Cuylle, Kakko, Berard, Lafrenière and Panarin, there really wasn’t much to be satisfied with. This team is in a brutal spot right now and is in desperate need of someone or something to spark some life within this group. 

The Rangers are back at it Wednesday Night as they hit the road again to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The games won’t get any easier from here on out, it’s gut check time now more than ever.