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AP Photo/Chris O’Meara

It’s amazing how quickly the story of a game can shift from a trade to a total dismantling of a team. The Bolts led the shots on goal count by three touchdowns by the end of the first period, with Henrik Lundqvist stopping all but two of them. The Blueshirts didn’t register a shot on goal until 11 minutes into the period. That’s a combination of how good Tampa is and how bad the Rangers are.

Andrei Vasilevskiy wasn’t tested at all. Hank was eventually pulled after allowing four goals on 31 shots, with three of them virtually unstoppable. As for the Rangers, they scored. So that’s good. That’s a positive. Right?

Fuel the tank.

On to the goals.

Bolts 1, Rangers 0

You can’t turn the puck over to the Bolts, and the Blueshirts did just that twice in the first period, and they both wound up in their net. This time, John Gilmour got too focused in the physical game along the boards, turned the puck over, and that led to a 2-on-1 for Chris Kunitz and Cedric Paquette. Brady Skjei played the rush fine, allowing the shot from Kunitz and taking the pass, but Paquette was there for the rebound. I can’t believe I have to say this, but the Hank hater crowd is obnoxiously loud, but it is incredibly difficult to control the rebound on shots that you stop with your shoulder. Even with that, the puck landed right in front, but with no back check and no one giving Skjei help, it was there for Paquette.

Bolts 2, Rangers 0

Another turnover, this time by a combination of Skjei, Ryan Spooner, and Kevin Hayes. Adam Erne picked up the loose puck in the slot with room, and beat Hank. Turnovers.

Bolts 3, Rangers 0

Anthony Cirelli made a very good deflection on this play. Folks are going to get on Hayes for this one, but I disagree. He had position on Cirelli, meaning that Cirelli didn’t have a path to the front for a rebound. He had part of Cirelli tied up, albeit with a hook. Cirelli just got his stick on a shot designed for a deflection. It was a well executed play.

Bolts 3, Rangers 1

This was a good play by Hayes to cut to the slot and get a good low shot on Vasilevskiy. Mikhail Sergachev didn’t catch Spooner behid him cutting in for the rebound.

Bolts 4, Rangers 1

Woof Hank. Stop handling the puck. But I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt here. He’s allowed to make a mistake. He’s earned it.

Bolts 5, Rangers 1

Boy the Bolts transition quickly. One save by Vasilevskiy, then a rush the other way. Sergachev’s shot was stopped, but the rebound was put in by Tyler Johnson.

Bolts 5, Rangers 2

The puck got by Johnson in the zone and out of the zone on a seemingly innocent play. But Sergachev didn’t recognize that the puck was out, and Spooner was already there to collect it for a mini 2-on-1 with Mats Zuccarello. Spooner fed Zucc for the finish.

Bolts 5, Rangers 3

Tony DeAngelo made a nifty play to keep the zone. The puck eventually wound up on Rob O’Gara’s stick at the point, who put a wrister through. Hayes was there for the deflection.

Score Adjusted Corsi/Scoring Chances

I don’t think you need to see these. Or want to see these. The Rangers were down by three touchdowns in shots in the first period and allowed 31 through the first 30 minutes. Need I say more?

No one said that the rebuild would be easy to watch. Teams like the Bolts and Jets are going to steamroll the Rangers. Such is life. We can enjoy watching some of the kids, and then see what comes in the draft. Hang in there, this is just the beginning.

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