After winning their first two games of the season, albeit not in a pretty way, the Rangers have dropped their last three and looked bad in doing so. The Blueshrts are dead last in puck possession, meaning they aren’t sustaining offensive pressure consistently and getting pinned in their own end a lot as well. These are not good signs, even if it is just five games.
Their sixth today is against a beatable Vancouver team, but in order to win and look good doing so, they need to overhaul their process. It doesn’t appear to be an effort issue, it’s more a process issue and an execution issue. Someone other than the top line and powerplay needs to score. They need to stop conceding the blue line and speed through the neutral zone. Baby steps for sure, but this is clearly a rebuilding season.
Note: If the lines are off, then they changed after I wrote this at 11am. I’m currently at the airport in Miami and may not be able to change it.
Canucks Lines
JT Miller-Elias Petterson-Brock Boeser
Tanner Pearson-Bo Horvat-Josh Leivo
Michael Ferland-Brandon Sutter-Jake Virtanen
Tim Schaller-Jay Beagle-Tyler Motte
Alex Edler-Tyler Myers
Quinn Hughes-Chris Tanev
Jordie Benn-Troy Stetcher
PP1: Boeser-Petterson-Miller-Edler-Horvat
PP2: Pearson-Leivo-Ferland-Myers-Hughes
Jakob Markstrom gets the start.
Rangers Lines
Artemi Panarin–Mika Zibanejad–Chris Kreider
Pavel Buchnevich–Brett Howden–Kaapo Kakko
Brendan Lemieux-Ryan Strome–Jesper Fast
Micheal Haley–Lias Andersson–Brendan Smith
Libor Hajek–Jacob Trouba
Marc Staal–Tony DeAngelo
Brady Skjei–Adam Fox
PP1: Panarin-Zibanejad-Buchnevich-Kreider-Trouba
PP2: Kakko-Strome-Lemieux-DeAngelo-Fox
PK Forwards: Zibanejad, Anderson, Fast, Kreider, Strome, Howden, Lemieux
PK Defense: Skjei, Trouba, Staal Smith
Henrik Lundqvist gets the start.
Scratches: Greg McKegg (healthy)
Crazy Prediction: No one has anything to complain about after the game.
Game time is 7pm.
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