After a big win full of multiple milestones in Philadelphia on Saturday, the post-letter boost worse off and the Rangers returned to normal. What started out as a great looking game quickly turned into a dominating performance by Anaheim, who feasted all night on the Rangers in transition and off turnovers. The shorthanded Rangers were exposed, with Anaheim taking advantage of Braden Schneider on the top pair and Spencer Martin in net. No one likes losses, but the Rangers tank rolled on with a regulation loss to a team that was behind them in the standings just one week ago.
It’s been a rough month for Braden Schneider. On the ice for 3 goals against, he was exposed by a very fast Ducks team that feasted on turnovers and bad decisions. It’s truly unfortunate his game hasn’t elevated to the next level the way we thought it could. This showed why his name is coming up in trade rumors as the Rangers look to sell off non-core assets. What we see is what we get with him, and while he’s not bad in a depth role, his perceived trade value far exceeds his real value on the ice.
It’s funny how hockey works. Two years ago, he couldn’t be dealt in a JT Miller trade that might have catapulted the Rangers to a Stanley Cup in 2024. Now he’s likely on the block as a guy the Rangers probably need to trade now before the shine on his age and handedness wears off. It’s disappointing, but at least we have clarity on his ceiling with this team.
Spencer Martin is a good soldier, but he’s not an NHL goalie, which may play into why Schneider appeared so bad last night. Martin couldn’t bail the team out of their mistakes the way Igor Shesterkin can, and it showed. Dylan Garand is getting all the starts in the AHL and is still struggling a bit, but he should get a look soon. Martin as the backup just isn’t a good plan.
Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin are a two-man show right now on offense. Both extended their point streaks with two point games last night, hopefully enhancing trade value. Panarin is for sure being traded, and while Zibanejad likely isn’t going anywhere, it never hurts to listen and see what he wants to do. At the very least, Zibanejad is showing he’s a viable top-six center and has hopefully silenced the haters with his play this season. So many of the kids have said Zibanejad has done wonders for them as they adjust to the day to day NHL life. He’s been a bright spot, bucking the “he doesn’t care” narrative.
On the bright side, Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann both looked really good. Neither added to the score sheet, but they were noticeable on the ice. Othmann in particular is perhaps gaining some much needed confidence as he and the Rangers hope to salvage any value, be it trade or on-ice.
Last night was about the best outcome we can hope for in the larger picture. The kids looked fine, some trade bait had good games, we got clarity on some other pieces, and the Rangers lost in regulation. The players aren’t going to tank, but we as fans know the more losses the better in a draft that is extremely top heavy.
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