Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Troubling Signs For The New York Rangers

12/07/2016 at 6:27am EST

After the Rangers lost 4-2 to the Islanders...

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

The Rangers competed. They put pucks to the net. They were punished physically for much of the contest by a more physical team that played with a growl, but never backed down. And yet, the Blueshirts made critical mistakes in the neutral zone and in front of the net.

They also could not capitalize on a majority of even-strength zone time (50-40 attempts) or on sustained power-play pressure during a four-minute advantage in the first period that produced nine shots, all sent on Halak with purpose. Not only were the Rangers kept off the board by Halak, they yielded a two-on-one immediately thereafter when Brock Nelson — who had concussed Matt Puempel to draw the double-minor — joined the rush on which Jason Chimera scored for a 2-0 lead at 17:24.

Puempel never returned. Nash left the game for good at 6:38 of the second cutting short his shift after nine seconds. The Rangers, who started the game without Michael Grabner (attending his grandmother’s funeral in Austria) were down to 10 forwards. They competed, but could not get it done.

And so, the wave of enthusiasm generated by that unexpected 13-4 bolt out of the gate is in the past. The Rangers are in deep, maybe in deep trouble, having won just four of their past 10 (4-5-1) and facing life without their prime difference-maker up front and with their prime difference-maker, period, struggling in nets.

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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