Rangers dominate 50 minutes, but it’s not enough to avoid sweep to Penguins

The Penguins are a good team, and they showed it again tonight in a 4-2 win. But don’t discount what the Rangers did, because there was a lot of good. The Rangers did come out flat in the first ten minutes or so, but it was a steady offensive pressure from then on. The Penguins are good, but the Rangers really did own most of this game. I had to do a double take when I saw the total shot attempts. It wasn’t enough as the Rangers couldn’t avoid the sweep by the Penguins.

In the end, it was a shorthanded goal and one bad shift that cost the Rangers. Shorthanded goals happen, and the Rangers napped on this one. After that, the Penguins trapped the Rangers for over a minute in their own zone, and that was the deciding goal in this one. The Rangers deserved a point at least, but it happens.

Some positives before we get into it, since I think we need it:

• Keith Kinkaid was good.
• Jack Johnson scored?
• The powerplay got one too.
• Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere looked great.
• The Rangers have good process. We may not see the results this season, but good process means good things for next season.

Rangers 1, Pens 0 – Did Jack Johnson just score?

Jack Johnson’s innocent shot from the point hit John Marino in front and fluttered past Tristan Jarry. Sam was so shocked he didn’t even know what to say on the broadcast. Let’s just enjoy a Jack Johnson goal.

Pens 1, Rangers 1 – You create your own bad luck

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1369434554897956864

It’s easy to pin this on Ryan Lindgren’s broken stick. However this play was broken from the initial breakout. Jack Johnson’s outlet to Filip Chytil wasn’t the best, as Chytil skated right into the Pens neutral zone coverage. He circled back into the defensive zone, which put him on the retreat and allowed the Penguins to get more aggressive on the forecheck. They brought in a third man as the puck was dumped to Lindgren. His pass resulted in a snapped stick, and the Penguins turned it into a goal.

Also worth noting that this shift started in the offensive zone with the fourth line and third pair on the ice. Off an icing. Make of that what you will.

Penguins 2, Rangers 1 – Giving up a shorty

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1369440753768947719

This is a bad goal by everyone on the ice. No backcheck. The defensemen got crossed up, and Kinkaid wasn’t flush to the ice.

Penguins 3, Rangers 1 – Trapped

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1369448465944678402

The Rangers just couldn’t get out of their own zone here. After a minute in the defensive zone, Kasperi Kapanen snuck in through Filip Chytil and found an opening behind both Adam Fox and Kevin Rooney. Fox went for the puck, and Kapanen dragged it around him and roofed it. This wound up being the nail in the coffin for the Rangers, and led to the sweep by the Penguins.

Penguins 3, Rangers 2 – It’s a powerplay goal

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1369454977039691777

The Rangers got their own luck here. Situational faceoffs matter, and the Rangers won this clean. Some good puck movement, and Ryan Strome’s pass goes off Marino’s skate.

Penguins 4, Rangers 2 – Empty net

Sidney Crosby empty netter.

Shot Heatmap – Not that bad?

This….isn’t bad? I honestly felt like the Penguins controlled most of the game. Turns out I was mistaken. The first period turned out to be even, though it felt like the Penguins dominated. The Rangers really controlled the second and the third though. I find that to be interesting. This was a low event game (not many shot attempts), so maybe it was just my eyes remembering a few plays and sticking out.

Skater Results – Dull makes sense

There’s a lot of dull here, which checks out. The Rangers did control a lot of the game though. It’s tough to ask for more against a good team. They dominated the third, outshooting 15-1, with that one going into the empty net.

This is a disappointing outcome. The Rangers played well enough to win, but came away with nothing, and couldn’t avoid the sweep by the Penguins. It doesn’t get any easier either, with a pair at Boston coming up.

Charts from NaturalStatTrick and Evolving-Hockey.