The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly; Rangers vs. Nashville
THE GOOD:
1. VERY QUICK: Backup goalie Jonathan Quick continues to play better regularly than Igor Shesterkin. Q was phenomenal against the Preds, keeping his Yo-Yo's in the game. His GAA is a league-leading 1.88.
2. GRUNT GOALS: Fourth-liners, Jonny Brodzinski, Sam Carrick and Taylor Raddysh did their usual hustling. Brod's goal with 37 seconds remaining and his team down 2-0 was like a
succulent pastrami on rye except the "rye" was just crumbs.
THE BAD:
1. POP GUN OFFENSE: New York was outshot 15-6 in the first period and 11-4 in the second frame. In the third they discovered that the game still was on – surprise-surprise!
2. HURTING AGAIN: Oft-injured J.T. Miller is out again and who knows how long? Also missing – flu were Matt Rempe and Gabe Perreault.
3. ASSORTED NOTHINGS: There was little Ranger inside play in the O zone, very few danger chances, single-digit shots in all three periods, power play futility; just to name a few Yo-Yo team shortcomings.
THE UGLY:
1. LYING WITH STATS: The 2-1 final score makes it look like a close game. Nay! It was a faraway game; the Rangers were far from winning it. A continent away, as a matter of fact.
2. NOT LYING WITH STATS: That makes 14 times this season the Rangers have scored only one or no goals in a game.
A Visit To Music City Leaves The Blueshirts Singing The Blues
With Christmas just around the calendar, the best thing Santa can do is deliver a certified guarantee that the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> will make the playoffs next Spring.
3. ALSO NOT FIBBING WITH STATS: For that (above) to happen in 38 games – or almost 40 percent of the time – is whatever it is that's BEYOND UGLY!
MAVEN'S CONCLUSION: Tomorrow night the Rangers get a chance to redeem themselves in Washington. (Memo to Santa: Help Wanted!)
(Thanks to Rich Isaak and Marc Weissman).