Rangers vs. Lightning: Return of the Rangers
A lifeless Rangers performance wipes out any good vibes from Boston as defensive meltdowns and zero offense spark new alarms.
- I tweeted the below out during the first period of the Boston Bruins game, before the New York Rangers took the game over. I think it's relevant now, still.
It is unfathomable the Rangers are the best road team in the NHL and close enough to be in the lottery discussion lol
— Joe Fortunato (@JoeFortunatoBSB) November 28, 2025
- Games like Saturday afternoon's are why I keep saying I can't bet on this team. No matter how good they look in one game, like against Boston, they are always capable of doing that.
- And what is that you ask? Probably what was the worst game the Rangers have played all year—which is truly an accomplishment. The Rangers took a total of 13 shots on goal. Two in the first period, seven in the second, four in the third. That is outrageously bad. Unacceptably bad. Disgraceful.
- Which is a longwinded way of saying, it's not the behavior of a team that's going to string a bunch of playoff games together, let alone a few series.
- By the way, it's also unfathomable to be out-shot 35-13 in a game in which the Rangers won 64.6 percent of face-offs. Wild. Insane.
- Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic tweeted it out, but the Rangers do not have enough skill to permit losses like that to happen. They have to bring it every single night. To come out that flat against another depleted opponent who was also on a back-to-back is the exact type of bullshit culture we saw last year.
