Despite falling behind 1-0 in this Eastern Conference Final against the Panthers, members of the Rangers know they are in for a long series.
The New York Rangers just weren’t prepared for the physical onslaught that the Florida Panthers brought to them in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, leading to a brutal 3-0 loss.
On a brighter note, the Rangers know that their performance in Game 1 did not give a fair representation for who they actually are as a team.
“I think we can play better. I don't think that was the best version of ourselves,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “I think there's more for us to give, and more for us to do out there.”
It wasn’t just one aspect of the game, but the Panthers dominated offensively, defensively and played with a physical edge that the Rangers didn’t have.
Chris Kreider was brutally honest about New York’s performance and feels there is much to improve upon going forward in this series.
“Our whole entire game has to be a lot better. It wasn't there nearly enough tonight. It boils down to playing north-south hockey, getting pucks out, getting pucks in. That's the kind of hockey they played,” Kreider said, via NHL.com's Dan Rosen.
The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy for a reason. They were the regular season’s best team and have arguably been the most dominant squad in the playoffs prior to this series.
There is a different gear that the Rangers are capable of reaching and that’s what they have to figure out going into Game 2.
“I think we feel like we have better in us and I think first and foremost we look at ourselves and what we have to do better,” Mika Zibanejad said. “There's room for not improvement, but to raise our level.”
Through a seven game series, it’s critical to stay level headed as there is a lot of hockey still to be played.
“It's a 7-game series,” Jimmy Vesey said. “We've been on the other side of it. Look at last round, teams respond and push. We've been a team that's responded all year and met every challenge. Our mindset is no different.”