Howard Simmons/New York Daily News
Henrik Lundqvist watches from the bench after he allows three goals in less than 10 minutes.
If a “sore butt” can cause Rangers center Derick Brassard to miss a game, then all of his teammates should be questionable for their next match after having their tails kicked in the first period of Thursday night’s 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Garden.
Defensive errors, poor puck management and Henrik Lundqvist’s continued inability to make the necessary stops off the rush led to coach Alain Vigneault pulling his franchise goaltender for the third time this season with the Rangers down, 3-0, only 11:10 into the first period.
Howard Simmons/New York Daily News
Blue Jackets’ Fedor Tyutin tackles Mats Zuccarello.
The Blueshirts (15-17-1) did fight back, driven by all-night hitting from former Blue Jacket Derek Dorsett and goals from center Dominic Moore in the first period and Dan Girardi on the four-on-four to make it 3-2 Columbus 11:07 into the third. They also fought valiantly late in regulation, but Columbus’ Ryan Johansen ended their hopes by stretching it back to 4-2 with just 1:32 remaining on a five-hole breakaway wrister past the otherwise-sturdy Cam Talbot.
The Rangers suffered their fourth straight loss (0-3-1) to open this nine-game home stand and fell to 1-15-0 this season when their opponent scores first. Boos rained down from the stands – which were not full all game – for the second straight game.
To highlight New York’s scoring woes, for a third straight game the Rangers’ loss ended with the team’s third-string goalie in its net: Sunday and Tuesday it was Washington’s Philip Grubauer and Nashville’s Carter Hutton, respectively, both of whom started; Thursday night it was Columbus’ Mike McKenna, who spelled the injured Curtis McElhinney (15 saves) for the final two periods.
Howard Simmons/New York Daily News
Blue Jackets’ goalie Curtis McElhinney stuffs a shot from Ryan McDonagh.
Brassard, day-to-day after a tumble to the ice in Tuesday’s loss to Nashville, joined injured captain Ryan Callahan (sprained left MCL, out four-to-six weeks) and alternate captain Marc Staal (concussion, out indefinitely) on the injured list, but that wasn’t an excuse for New York’s start. Columbus was missing four prominent starters, including former Rangers top scorer Marian Gaborik (knee) and reigning Vezina Trophy winning goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (groin).
Something is seriously off with Lundqvist (three goals allowed on 13 shots; a 9-14-1 record), who also was pulled this season on Oct. 8 for former backup Martin Biron in a 9-2 loss to San Jose and on Nov. 25 for Talbot in a 5-0 loss at Tampa Bay.
His defense, however, didn’t help him at all on Thursday, leading to a goal for former Ranger Artem Anisimov and a win for both him and Dubinsky against the club that traded them for Nash in the summer of 2012. Nash did not register a point in his first meeting with the team that he played nine seasons for and captained after being drafted first overall in 2002.
http://newyork.greatlocalnews.info/?p=18878
via Great Local News: New York http://newyork.greatlocalnews.info
No comments:
Post a Comment