Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f0c6103c-0813-440b-bbca-a5bd1b0c6b92.jpeg] Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The New York Rangers continue to pile up disappointment after disappointment. On Tuesday night, the Rangers had a golden opportunity to build on their lead in the wild-card race, but instead shattered under pressure, losing 2-1 to the Calgary Flames. Artemi Panarin opened up the scoring less than two minutes into the contest. However, that was by far the highest point for the Blueshirts all night. Their defense quickly went into disarray and by the end of the first period, New York’s lead evaporated. In the second period, the Rangers were a complete trainwreck. They looked all out of sorts in terms of their puck movement and defensive structure. After 40 minutes of play, Calgary was outshooting New York 24-7 with the Rangers virtually unable to even enter the offensive zone. It was more of the same in the third and by the time the Rangers finally began putting pressure, it was too little too late. The players were dejected after the game, which was expected given the effort they put on display. “I think everywhere,” Mika Zibanejad said of where the disconnect was. “We were slow moving the puck, we were slow getting out of our own zone, we were slow moving up the puck, we were slow getting open.” The Rangers have put themselves in a position where they have to scrape and claw their way into the playoffs. There needs to be a level of desperation the Rangers must play with and it’s simply not being shown whatsoever. “It was not there, there was nothing there,” Peter Laviolette said. “They were faster than us, they were more ready than us, so that’s how the game played out.” Not only did the Rangers fail to gain any ground in the playoff race, but the Montreal Canadiens leapfrogged New York in the standings and now sit in the second wild-card spot. Time and time again, the Rangers continue to show why they aren’t a playoff-caliber team. All season, the Blueshirts have had major defensive problems, something they’ve been unable to fully fix. More importantly, this team lacks the necessary heart and passion it takes to go on a championship run. Where did it all change? The Rangers won The Presidents’ Trophy just last season and were known to be the comeback kids. Following all of this offseason drama, turmoil within the locker room and numerous trades, the Rangers are a shell of themselves. A team with so much promise and championship aspirations is suddenly staring down the possibility of not even making the playoffs. A true fall from grace. It’s been a rollercoaster ride to cover the Rangers this year. It was almost evident from training camp that something was off with the Blueshirts. Something deeply internal was wrong, which could have stemmed from the ugly departure of Barclay Goodrow and the messy Jacob Trouba situation. There is also a more simple explanation. The Rangers’ core is aging right before our eyes. The same team that was exposed by the Florida Panthers in the playoffs last year is the team we have been seeing the past few months. The playoffs almost seem unattainable at this point and with 13 games remaining, New York will have to flip the switch quickly. The Rangers will be back in action on Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
