After coming off two spectacular wins in opposition to the New York Islanders, the New York Rangers had been seeking to trip their momentum to a different victory on Sunday evening at residence in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sadly for the Backyard Devoted, their crew misplaced a heartbreaker within the ultimate seconds of regulation. It was fairly a disappointing loss contemplating how effectively that they had performed heading into the match. Let’s look at somewhat carefully at what precisely transpired on this planet’s most well-known area on Sunday.
Shesterkin Suffers First Profession Loss
When rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin made his NHL debut on Jan. 7 in opposition to the Colorado Avalanche, the Backyard crowd was electrical and buzzing with pleasure. There was a lot anticipation because the Rangers and their followers had been curious to see how their younger netminder would carry out on the skilled degree. He had dominated on the AHL degree with the Hartford Wolfpack as he posted a 1.93 goals-against common (GAA) and .932 save proportion (SV%) by way of 23 contests earlier than being referred to as up.
Shesterkin performed effectively in opposition to the Avalanche in his first-ever NHL recreation as he turned apart 29 of 32 pictures confronted and earned a win within the course of. He adopted it up with one other sturdy efficiency two days later as he made 46 saves to assist the Rangers defeat their cross-river rivals, the New Jersey Devils. It seems the Rangers might have discovered one thing with the younger Russian goalie, however it’s nonetheless too early to inform simply but. He’ll want extra NHL publicity earlier than anybody can decide how good of knowledgeable participant he actually is.
Colorado Avalanche middle Nathan MacKinnon scores on New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports activities)
The Rangers waited 10 days earlier than deciding to present Shesterkin some extra publicity. He entered Sunday’s contest with rather more poise and confidence in contrast to in his earlier two begins. The Blue Jackets didn’t wait lengthy earlier than they started producing pictures on the younger goalie. He was as much as the duty although as he turned apart each shot that got here his manner through the first two durations of motion.
The Rangers entered the third interval with a 1-Zero lead and their possibilities appeared fairly good about successful this vital recreation for the playoff image. Shesterkin was a strong wall making key saves when essential in opposition to a surging Columbus squad. However as everyone knows, the Rangers ended up shedding this contest – the place did it go unsuitable?
It occurred about six minutes into the third body of play on a giveaway again of their offensive zone. New York had gained the blue line and Ryan Strome handed the puck over to teammate Jesper Quick by the best face-off circle. Quick moved up however determined to move the puck again with the hopes that somebody would choose it up alongside the boards. Sadly, there have been no blue sweaters in sight and Columbus took it again up the opposite manner.
Pierre-Luc Dubois gained the zone for the Blue Jackets. Strome was skating backward and poked the puck away as he entered. It wasn’t sufficient as Oliver Bjorkstrand adopted it up and carried the puck in direction of Shesterkin. He then fired a shot and it beat him glove facet. In consequence, Columbus tied the sport 1-1. It’s potential that Shesterkin was barely screened on the play as fellow defenseman Jacob Trouba was backing up in entrance of him to attempt to get in entrance of Bjorkstrand’s shot. Both manner, the Blue Jackets gained life and it turned out to be a significant turning level within the contest.
Columbus started producing extra high quality possibilities down the stretch of regulation. They examined Shesterkin who needed to make some massive saves to maintain the sport tied for his crew. It appeared the sport was going to go to additional time because the clock was ticking down below a minute in regulation. Then, the Blue Jackets made a rush up the ice as Seth Jones hit Dubois on a protracted move up the center. Dubois gained the zone and frivolously tapped the puck over to his teammate Bjorkstrand. Wouldn’t you guess that Bjorkstrand as soon as once more ripped a shot that ended up beating Shesterkin on his glove facet?
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (Sarah Stier-USA TODAY Sports activities)
The purpose was scored with 26.5 seconds remaining in regulation and it gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead over the Rangers. It was a demoralizing purpose and because the time drained right down to zero, New York’s little two-game successful streak got here to an finish. Whereas Shesterkin did enable two targets to the identical participant in the identical vogue Sunday, he performed a extremely strong recreation general. He did all the things potential to maintain the Rangers within the recreation and practically received them to additional time.
We will’t absolutely fault Shesterkin for this loss. We have to do not forget that this was solely his third profession NHL recreation ever. He performed very well as he denied 29 of 31 pictures confronted. Had he gotten extra help on offense, he might have earned a 3rd win as a substitute of his first loss. We’ll by no means know, however no less than he didn’t look misplaced on the market. If he gave up a bounty of targets and needed to be pulled from the sport, then that’s a distinct story. This was only a traditional case of efficiency gone to waste as a result of there wasn’t a lot help from his teammates.
It’s studying expertise and it’ll assist him construct some character. We should wait and see how he responds in his subsequent begin, however judging by how mature he’s been up to now, I’ve a intestine feeling he will likely be sharp once more.
Rangers’ Offense Struggled to Convert
One factor that I used to be very impressed by after their two wins in opposition to the Islanders was the offensive manufacturing. They generated 64 pictures on web and 9 targets in these two contests mixed in opposition to the Islanders. I used to be very hopeful that they might have an analogous outing on Sunday in opposition to Columbus.
It’s not that they couldn’t create many scoring possibilities all through the length of the sport, that they did. New York and Columbus had been each pretty even within the pictures division because the Rangers barely outshot the Blue Jackets 32-31. So to say the Rangers weren’t producing sufficient scoring possibilities can be a lie. The issue was they weren’t changing on the charge that they had been up to now.
Brady Skjei, New York Rangers, Mar. 22, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
That they had transformed 16.7 % and 10.7 % of their pictures into targets within the earlier two contests in opposition to their long-time rivals. So after I noticed them produce at a significantly decrease effectivity than earlier than, I felt somewhat uneasy. Mika Zibanejad led the cost with six whole pictures on web and no tallies in any respect. Brady Skjei got here in second with 5 pictures and he ended up with the lone purpose on the evening.
It actually is regarding when a defenseman like Skjei who solely had six targets on the season heading into Sunday’s recreation be the main scorer of the evening. More often than not that by no means normally yields optimistic outcomes except that defenseman is a excessive scorer which may be very uncommon. The highest guys like Zibanejad, Strome, Artemi Panarin, and Chris Kreider had been all absent from the scoresheet which hasn’t occurred in fairly a while. Since Columbus was in a position to take them out of the equation, it made it somewhat extra manageable for them to win.
With out a lot depth past these a number of gamers beforehand talked about, the Rangers had a tough time scoring targets all through the whole thing of the sport. We even have to present credit score the place credit score is due. Columbus performed an excellent sturdy defensive recreation, courtesy of former Rangers coach John Tortorella. Protection has at all times been his specialty and it was highlighted as soon as once more in opposition to his former membership.
Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
The Rangers have to get their massive guys like Panarin and Zibanejad going once more if they’re to remain aggressive within the Japanese Convention. They’re simply exterior the top-10 in targets scored this 12 months (156) and have improved considerably from the place they had been a 12 months in the past. Nonetheless, they’ll’t enable an analogous final result to occur once more on Tuesday in opposition to the Islanders in the event that they plan on holding tempo with the remainder of the squads within the East.
Because it at the moment stands, the Blueshirts have a 23-20-Four file and are 9 factors again from the Carolina Hurricanes for the ultimate playoff spot. Their loss on Sunday dug them into an unfavorable gap as they’ve 4 groups in between them and Carolina. A win in opposition to the Islanders will definitely do the trick. It’ll really feel nice sticking it to them for a 3rd time inside every week in addition to give them some much-needed life within the playoff standings.
