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New York Rangers Game Notes

Rangers vs. Oilers: McDavid Does McDavid Things

Connor McDavid is chasing history, and the Rangers are chasing answers. The power play, the goaltending workload, and a defensive pairing all need a closer look.

Eric Kohn

Eric Kohn

— 5 min read
Rangers vs. Oilers: McDavid Does McDavid Things
(Image credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
  • There's no getting around it. Losing sucks. The New York Rangers are 9-0-1 when they score first, and they are 0-6-1 when the other team scores first. That's not great. But that's hockey, Suzyn?
  • That stat tells a lot of the story, but the part concealed in there is that, unlike last season, these didn't become completely, unwatchably bad snooze fests once they quickly fell behind in the game. The Rangers generated chances throughout the second and the third periods, but just couldn't get the goal they needed to really get back into the game.
  • Let's start with the lineup changes.
  • Sean Durzi is day-to-day with what we can assume is a hand injury from blocking a shot a few games back. That led to Matthew Robertson being called back up and Scott Morrow (who turned 24 on Sunday) drawing in for the first time this season. More on him later.
  • And then there's dropping Gabe Perreault in the lineup. Look, I didn't love it. But in the end, Perreault ended up getting more ice time with J.T. Miller and Tye Kartye (6:28) than he did with Noah Laba and Will Cuylle (5:55). So, meh. I know Perreault hasn't been putting up points lately, but I don't think putting him with Laba and Cuylle is the way to get him going.
  • Ladies and gentlemen, Connor McDavid.
  • I mean, what do you even say to that?
  • A few things here. First, it's absolutely right that McDavid is not a fair example here. Connor McDavid is never a fair example. Whatever insight you think you have, if your example is Connor McDavid, you have to realize that you're arguing from a singular exception, not the rule.

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