Rangers vs. Avalanche: About What You'd Expect
Colorado showed the gap, Igor kept it close, the Rangers beat themselves late, and Utah suddenly feels like a must-win.
- Let's start here: The Colorado Avalanche are the class of the National Hockey League. After that win last night, they are 14-1-5 for 33 points, which is just an insane record. While preseason opinions on how the New York Rangers would perform this year varied here at Blueshirt Banter, there wasn't anyone predicting this to be a true Cup-contending team. Most of the predictions that they'd be a playoff team were predicated on the general weakness of the Eastern Conference. To wit, the Rangers sit at 10-10-2 for 22 points, which puts them a mere two points out of the final Wild Card spot, and just four points behind the Islanders for third in the Metro. But suffice it to say, they are not Colorado Avalanche, nor did we expect them to be.
- I said in the Game Notes after the loss to Vegas, and discussed this at length on the podcast, that it would be helpful if the results matched the effort, in either direction. The Rangers have played a lot of games this year where they've dominated and lost. And they've played games where they've been dominated and won, or at least hung in there longer than you'd expect. The Rangers really had no business winning this game. And yet, about halfway through the third period, this game was tied at three. The opportunity to steal one was right there.
- We've talked before about the Rangers lack of team speed. Boy it sure does become apparent when the opposing team is throwing Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Cale Makar at you, doesn't it?
- This is another game that the Rangers aren't in at all if not for Igor Shesterkin. I wouldn't even say this was his best performance, but there wasn't a ton he could have done about the four goals the Avs scored with him in net, and he made the incredible saves to keep the Rangers in the game as long as possible.
