Perhaps the Rangers should change their Twitter hashtag from #NoQuitInNY to #YesQuitInNY, because the Rangers quit last night. Maybe not in the first period, when one fluke goal put them down. Maybe not in the second period, when a bad bounce led to the back breaking third goal. But in the third period, and through most of Game 4, they absolutely quit. Pathetic doesn’t even begin to describe it.
The Rangers went into last season with no expectations, and shocked us all by making their run to the Eastern Conference Final. They didn’t have the word Quit in their vocabulary. But they were fatigued by the Tampa series and were simply outcoached. It was a great run, one that showed #NoQuitInNY was real.
These playoffs, with a so called super team, are different. The Rangers quit on themselves last night. To get outshot 20-2 in the third period when down 3-0 isn’t just being outplayed. They quit. Period. End of story. #YesQuitInNY is the new hashtag to describe the Rangers until they actually show up for a game.
Every team goes through adversity in the playoffs. The overwhelming majority of championship teams have faced elimination and survived before going on to winning the Stanley Cup. The Rangers themselves had horrendous showings in 2014 against Pittsburgh, only to win three straight and go on to the Cup Final. But this one feels different because the effort certainly isn’t there. We wouldn’t be talking #YesQuitInNY unless they gave us a reason to.
And they did. They gave us a reason to talk #YesQuitInNY.
But with every #YesQuitInNY concern, there is still hope. The Rangers are, for the most part, playing a solid defensive game. They aren’t going to keep the Devils off the scoreboard, but let’s break down the goals the Devils have scored by game:
- Game 1: 1 penalty shot goal
- Game 2: 1 powerplay goal
- Game 3: 1 even strength goal, 1 powerplay goal
- Game 4: 2 even strength goals, 1 empty netter
- Game 5: 1 even strength goal, 1 powerplay goal, 1 shorthanded goal, 1 empty netter
Not including empty netters, the Rangers have limited the Devils to 9 goals in 5 games. Only 4 of those have come at even strength. That’s fantastic defensive hockey. The problem is on offense, and that’s where #YesQuitInNY has proved right.
The powerplay, for some reason, doesn’t feature Mika Zibanejad on the left circle. He was there for a brief moment at practice the other day, and then for one powerplay in Game 5. That’s it. They are now 0-for-13 since their outburst in Games 1 and 2. At even strength, the results are even worse, with only one line (the Kid Line) able to generate anything off the cycle.
The Rangers, with all their firepower, need to score goals. There is too much talent on this team to roll over and die the way they have. Like we said before the postseason started, if the Rangers top players aren’t scoring, they won’t last long. Well they aren’t scoring, and now they are on the brink after two abysmal efforts. Results matter, and effort drives the results.
This is now on the big money players and big trade acquisitions to right the ship. Otherwise, heads are expected to roll in the offseason.
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