Rangers vs. Devils: They Were Due
Eight games of clean hockey, then a night worth burning the tape over. Is this a good team having a bad game, or the first crack in something bigger?
- Through the first eight games of the season, the New York Rangers had played clean hockey. Game nine? Not so much.
- This was a burn-the-tape type of night, and Eric gave me two assignments due on the same day, so let's dive in.
- This game actually started off really, really well. The Rangers were playing good, physical, puck-controlling hockey. They even killed off a five-on-three for two minutes. They didn't just kill it off—they allowed zero shots on goal. Not only did they not allow any shots on goal, but the Rangers had a great scoring chance on the kill. And coming out of the kill, they drew a penalty of their own. ’Twas glorious.
- And then the wheels fell off.
- Dylan Garand came into the game having faced 112 shots this season and having given up six goals. He gave up four goals on 13 shots in just over 24 minutes against the New Jersey Devils.
- His save percentage went from .946 to .915. His goals-against average went from 1.15 to 2.05.
- Not all of it was his fault. The Rangers made some sloppy plays. J.T. Miller and Vladislav Gavrikov made a couple of bad passes. The game started getting away from them, and they started running around in their own zone. Like I said, they were due.
