While the rest of the team skated out for warmups, veteran forward Chris Kreider was declared a healthy scratch, setting the tone for an unsettling start to the day. Even though the Rangers played hard and had an advantage in the first game, they were unable to compete with the Devils.
After falling behind 1-0 at the conclusion of the first half, New Jersey took control of the game because to poor special teams performance and mental errors, winning 5-0. With two goals, Jack Hughes once again dominated New York, as Jonathan Quick was consistently left hanging by the Rangers.
Three Rangers lessons from their 5-0 loss to the Devils
Here are three things to remember from Monday’s Rangers defeat.
1. Special teams repeat the narrative
Like the Carolina Hurricanes’ defeat on Sunday, the tale was told by the special teams play. The Rangers’ power play, which went a pitiful 0-for-4 against New Jersey, is still icy cold. They haven’t scored a power-play goal in six games in a row. Their penalty kill, which leads the NHL, had a poor night, going only one for four, which gave New Jersey three power-play goals.
The Rangers’ too-man-on-ice penalties gave New Jersey their first two power-play goals. Simple mental errors that were clearly preventable ultimately cost New York dearly. Alexis Lafreniere’s unnecessary slash in the third period gave them their third goal, which set up the Devils’ fifth.
The Devils’ usage of their fourth line may have contributed to the Rangers’ lone successful penalty kill, given that the
It’s easy to assume that this holiday season, these two teams were trading punches rather than presents. There were two fights during the first period alone, making it a rough affair. First, after meeting along the boards, Vincent Trocheck and Paul Cotter got into a brawl early in the first period. A few minutes later, Artemi Panarin also joined in on the drama with a roughing penalty. Later in the first, just after Adam Fox and Nico Hischier swung back and forth, causing a scrum, Sam Carrick and Brenden Dillon dropped the gloves in a far more intense fight.
Alexis Lafreniere and Jonas Siegenthaler engaged in a multi-shift altercation during the second period, ultimately receiving offsetting penalties for cross-checking and slashing. After that, Dougie Hamilton and Brett Berard received coincidental minors for fighting with each other. Because the game was almost finished by the third, tensions subsided. With four minutes remaining, the game was finished at 5-0. However, special teams played a significant role in the defeat, which just adds to New York’s already extensive list of issues.
