Rangers give up four in a row again, lose to Devils

The Rangers seem to be content with scoring a few goals early, then resting on their laurels for the rest of the game. They don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone, and the effort simply isn’t there for a full 60 minutes. It’s not even there for a full 20 minutes, as proven last night again. Instead of watching the Rangers give up four in a row in the third period, we watched it over the course of two periods, as the Rangers blew their early two goal lead. Again.

There is nothing that can save this team except for a major lineup shakeup. That doesn’t mean a trade, it means dressing the best possible lineup. There are three easy solutions:

1. Dress Vitali Kravtsov, and put him in the top six over Barclay Goodrow.
2. Scratch Sammy Blais, who has been bad, and put Goodrow in his spot on the fourth line.
3. Break up Miller-Trouba, who have been awful.

Three steps to make a big enough lineup change to hopefully right this ship. Otherwise, this Rangers team is doomed to be more like the 1992-1993 team and not like the 2013-2014 team. We knew the Devils were good, but for the Rangers to roll over and die after scoring the first two goals in the game is inexcusable.

At least they made it close in the third period by actually skating. But it was too little too late, as expected.

Rangers 1, Devils 0

The Devils are a very aggressive team, and the Rangers are able to take advantage of the missed Jack Hughes shot by quickly turning it up the ice for the counter attack. Filip Chytil looks good as the 2C. Shocker, I know.

Rangers 2, Devils 0

Aside from countering their aggressiveness, the other way to beat the Devils is to exploit their goaltending. Vitek Vanecek should have had this soft wrister from Jacob Trouba. But he bobbled it, and it wound up in the back of the net.

Rangers 2, Devils 1

The Devils are an aggressive team. You’ll hear that a lot this year. They forced the Rangers into a neutral zone turnover, and the Devils quickly made it a one goal game off an absolutely wicked backhand by Tomas Tatar. Backhanders in general are tough to read, and Igor Shesterkin certainly did not expect that kind of shot.

Rangers 2. Devils 2

There’s no sugar coating this one: This was a terrible shift by Jacob Trouba. He lost the puck at the blue line, which trapped some Rangers and allowed the Devils to maintain pressure. Then he puck watched to the point where he was behind the net, and Yegor Sharangovich simply occupied the empty space in front and waited for the pass.

Devils 3, Rangers 2

Vanecek made a key save on Chytil, and the Devils quickly transitioned, trapping three Rangers while Hughes used his speed to burn Ryan Lindgren and put it through Shesterkin’s legs.

Devils 4, Rangers 2

Neutral zone turnover by Braden Schneider, and that’s all you need to hear. You can’t turn the puck over against the Devils and expect it to end well. Plus this is some bad luck by Zac Jones, whose clear went right off Michael McLeod’s stick.

Devils 4, Rangers 3

Adam Fox’s shot on the powerplay hit at least three different players before the puck wound up in Chris Kreider’s skates, where it was picked up by Vincent Trocheck in the chaos.

Devils 5, Rangers 3

Sharangovich empty netter. Someone explain to me why Barclay Goodrow is out there when the Rangers are down one with two minutes left. Anyone?