The red hot Colorado Avalanche did exactly what most expected last night, completely crushing the Rangers, even making the 6-3 final score look tame. Colorado skated circles around the Rangers, forcing undisciplined penalties which gave a top powerplay six chances throughout the game. While the Rangers went for a more shot quality over quantity approach, the Avalanche pretty much dictated play from puck drop until the third period when they were just sitting on the lead.
After being up 1-0 for the first 19 minutes of the game, Artemi Panarin decided he wanted to try and be a hero in the final minute of the first period, making an ill advised pass to the middle of the ice in his own zone. Naturally, the puck was intercepted and, a few seconds later, Nathan MacKinnon tied the game. That may have been the turning point on paper, but it drove home that the Avs controlled 70% of the shot attempts in that period, and the Rangers didn’t look good for the rest of the game.
Unfortunately instead of adjusting and coming out swinging in the second, the Rangers regressed to much of what we saw last year. They looked dejected after the tying goal, and though there was some life in the first, that disappeared at 5v5 for the rest of the game. The Rangers aren’t even remotely close to the same level as the Avalanche, and that is such a sobering thought as we head further and further into a season with so many questions.
On the bright side, the powerplay is finally clicking. JT Miller scored twice off deflections, and at the time they were huge goals. His first was the opening goal of the game and looked like it was really going to be a tone setter. Miller’s second tied the game halfway in the 3rd period when the Rangers badly needed a goal.
Objectively, JT Miller finally did some captain stuff offensively, hopefully a sign of things to come. It’s easy to write off these goals as “blowout, doesn’t matter,” but we know how much Miller has struggled this season. Two timely goals hopefully open the floodgates for him. The Rangers won’t be a good team without their new 1C playing like a 1C.
The Rangers next opponent is the Utah Mammoth, and the Rangers really have an opportunity to right the ship. Utah has lost nine of their last eleven games and have struggled to score and get timely saves. The bigger question is, which team is going to be the “get right” team? Are the Rangers going to go into Utah, put up a vanilla game, and further doubt in the group, or will they get sick of the losing as much as the fans are, and do something about it?
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