The New York Rangers will be looking to break a two-game losing streak as they face the St. Louis Blues Wednesday night. Here is a breakdown of what to expect.
Rangers vs Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Rangers Saturday evening in a 1-0 shutout. Both teams played great, although there was some sloppiness.
There were times when the players couldn’t handle the puck and bring it out of their own zone. There were other times in the game when bad puck handling led to takeaways.
Why did the Rangers lose? Their loss was partially their own fault as they were the team that lost some of their gusto from the first period. Overall, their game was good, but not great.
The other reason for their loss was because of Tristan Jarry. The number one star of the game, Jarry, was ridiculous in net. He made some unbelievable saves and was the a key reason to the Rangers’ demise.
Igor Shesterkin played incredible too, but it was because of the PPG by Evgeni Malkin that led to the Penguins victory.
Rangers vs Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Rangers 5-2 Sunday night. Former Ranger J.T. Miller helped lead the way for the Canucks, getting two assists.
Although the Rangers fell behind early in the game, the Rangers had a great first period. Again, their game seemed to decline as time when on, but there were some great chances. The Rangers just couldn’t capitalize.
This game was a complete flip-flop of stats. The Rangers were fourth best in the league on their power play, yet they went 0-for-3.
The Canucks scored on their lone power play in the game, breaking the Rangers’ streak of scoreless hockey while being short-handed.
The Rangers did up their game late in the third period, scoring two goals. This was short-lived since the Canucks made it 5-2, their last goal being an empty net goal.
Shesterkin was a healthy scratch, leaving Alexandar Georgiev as goalie.
Rangers vs Blues
The Rangers will be taking on the Blues Wednesday night, looking to bounce back from devastating losses.
Some of the players to watch for the Blues are Jordan Kyrou, Justin Faulk and former Ranger Pavel Buchnevich.
Kyrou has six points in his last five games, while Buchnevich has four goals and Faulk has five assists.
For the Rangers, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox are the guys to watch. Zibanejad has five points, two of them goals, in his last five games. Fox has three assists.
Chris Kreider can’t be counted out as the third-best in goals scored at 34. He also leads the league in PPG at 17.
Artemi Panarin also is one of the leaders of the Rangers. He is one of the top players in assists with 42. Fox is fifth with 43.
What to look for
The Rangers are looking for a little redemption. They have lost two games in a row and are trying to keep their position in the standings, or even move up. The Penguins have taken over second place in the Metropolitan Division, surpassing the Rangers. This occurred because of the Rangers loss to the Penguins, along with the Sunday’s games, where the Rangers loss to the Canucks and the Penguins win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blues are second in the Central Division, but 12 points back from the surging Colorado Avalanche. This will be a rough game for the Rangers, playing against another great team.
In order to succeed, the Rangers need to stay out of the penalty box. They also need to capitalize on as many power-play chances as they get.
The Rangers need to find a way to win. To do this, they need to be physical along the boards, winning those battles. They also need to make good, quick passes, without giving up the puck. They need speed. Lately, the Rangers either seemed to lose their speed, or their opponents just upped their game. The Rangers need to play hard all game.
Who is going to win Wednesday? Watch the game at 7:30 p.m. ET to see this East vs West Conference battle.
Featured Image Courtesy of NHL Video via youtube.com
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