ranger jets

Photo by Marianne Helm/Getty Images

The Rangers can’t seem to get out of their own way this season. With the goaltending crashing back to human levels, the Rangers are hemorrhaging goals and chances like crazy, and it all starts in the defensive zone. The top line was atrocious, with three separate breakdowns that led to a pair of Bryan Little goals to open the game and a Tyler Myers goal to regain a two goal lead. As with the other 33 games this year, team defense was an issue.

This is becoming comedic at this point. We knew the Rangers were due for regression, but I was hoping the usual December uptick in play would help take the pain of that regression away. That uptick in play never happened. In fact, they regressed. The bleeding will stop eventually though. Just not sure when.

As always, you can view the full videos on our video page here. All GIFs are on nyrgifs.comfiltered under the date of the game. On to the goals:

Jets 1, Rangers 0little goal

Ryan McDonagh turned the puck over, as he was pressued by Andrew Ladd. The turnover was because Marc Staal didn’t have body posistion on his man behind the net, Blake Wheeler. Wheelere got the puck to Bryan Little, who was open because Derick Brassard forgot to defense. Easy goal.

Jets 2, Rangers 0

little goal 2

little goal 2 (1)

Another case of Brassard forgetting to defense and not covering his man, again Little. Deja vu.

Rangers 1, Jets 2

miller goal

miller goal 2

The third line had a very strong shift here. The Jets really didn’t do anything “wrong” on this shift, but they couldn’t get the puck away from the forwards. J.T. Miller started this with strong board play and getting the puck to Keith Yandle at the point, who skated in and dished to Kevin Hayes for a quick one-timerfrom the high slot. Connor Hellebuyck didn’t see it cleanly, as Emerson Etem cut to the slot for a quick screen. Miller also cut to the back door and was able to poke the loose puck home.

Jets 3, Rangers 1

buff goal

Mark Schiefele won the faceoff clean from Derek Stepan, and Dustin Byfuglien’s shot appeared to go off Jesper Fast.

Rangers 2, Jets 3

Brassard won the faceoff clean to McDonagh, whose shot on the powerplay was blocked in front. The rebound went right to Dan Boyle, who quickly put it home for the powerplay goal.

Jets 4, Rangers 2

myers goal

Another goal, another Ranger top liner caught watching. This time, Rick Nash was watching the play instead of eyeing his man. Wheeler got the puck to Tyler Myers, creeping in, and by the time Nash recovered, Myers was at the top of the circle with a prime chance for the goal.

Jets 5, Rangers 2

Andrew Ladd empty netter.

Score Adjusted Corsi

sac copy

There’s an odd trend for the Rangers where they keep up in overall pace of the game, and then fall off a cliff right as the second period starts. Could be fatigue. Could be opposition adjusting. Just an odd trend.

Scoring Chances

scf

Same observation for Corsi applies here.

Individual Corsi

icorsi copy

Yandle/McIlrath had a strong game again, but that seems to be par for the course. They are by far the best defense pairing this season, which is honestly quite scary.

Shot Locations

locations copy

This isn’t good.

Shift Chart

shift

Alain Vigneault shifted his lines too much for this to really mean much.

The skid will eventually stop, it’s just a matter of when. With the Caps coming to town Sunday, it might not stop there. If the Rangers play this way against the Caps, it will get ugly.

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