How Rangers look to prevent frustrating in-game lapses
The thing the Rangers have to guard against is turning the micro into macro.
Most notably, that would mean these in-game lapses they suffer, whether it be for five or 15 minutes at a time, not turning into an overarching frustration that could last for weeks. In small doses, it manifests in results like the 3-2 loss to the first-overall Lightning on Saturday night at the Garden.
The Blueshirts had played a good first period but ended up down, 1-0, and then came out in the second trying to do too much — and the electric Tampa Bay team scored two goals in 12 minutes to go up 3-0.
“I think it was frustration,” coach David Quinn said after the game, his team getting Super Bowl Sunday off before returning to action with Monday night’s Garden match against the Kings. “I think it was the fact that we thought we played a really good first period. You saw the chances — breakaways, unbelievable grade-A’s — and you come out of that period [down] 1-0, I think it’s frustration. I think human nature might kick in and you start trying to do different things because the things you were doing, even though you were getting the chances, you weren’t scoring.”
If that frustration seeps into the depth of the locker room and travels from game to game, it’s only going to make this next few weeks even more difficult. There is no secret that general manager Jeff Gorton is approaching the Feb. 25 trade deadline with the hopes of accelerating the rebuilding process by adding future assets.
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That means it’s very likely the final six weeks of the season are going to already be colored by the departure of some of the team’s best players, and the temporary fracturing of friendships. If the frustration of not being able to score when playing relatively well can result in losses, imagine that piled on top of the surrounding glibness of trading for the future.
Lundqvist“I think it’s important we don’t overthink [when we] win or lose,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “We need to focus on the things that really help us play strong games, and the wins will come.”
If the Rangers were getting blown out every night, that would be one thing. But they’re not. The top line of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello has been terrific, only raising the trade value for Zuccarello. Same can be said for Kevin Hayes, who looks like he might be on his way out before the deadline, as well.
And there have been good performances, like the 4-3 victory against the Devils in Newark on Thursday night when Zibanejad completed his first hat trick as a Ranger on a terrific goal with 4:36 remaining in regulation. Even against the Lightning, following that short lapse, both Zuccarello and Hayes scored to get the deficit to just 3-2.
But the damage had already been done and they could never get the equalizer.
“We did a great job; tried to come back, never gave up,” Lundqvist said. “That’s a great sign.”
That really is a good example for how the team should be approaching the stretch run. The odds of getting into the playoff mix are small, and they will shrink after the deadline. If the goal of this season was development, then the daily attitude and mentality are paramount toward creating the most fertile environment for growth.
Monday night’s game also is the start of a five-game homestand, the next road game not until Feb. 12 in Winnipeg. After the Kings, it’s the Bruins in prime time Wednesday night, followed by the celebration of the 1994 team prior to Friday night’s game against the Hurricanes. Then John Tavares and the Maple Leafs come to town Sunday night before the Blueshirts head off for four on the road.
So getting some positive feeling on Broadway is important, and that is done by not letting the small lapses turn into long-standing frustration — no matter the results.
“That can happen in our sport,” Quinn said. “It’s tough to do the same thing over and over again.”