Rangers Coughing Up Game 1 Doesn't Mean The Sky Is Falling
After getting my frustrations out in my post-game blog & a good night’s sleep, I can now take a little positive from Game 1. There’s no justifying how the Rangers disappeared in the 3rd or how they lost in OT – but the truth is, it’s one game in a best-of-7. The home team favorite did what they were supposed to do. The chance is still there though for NY to steal one at Staples come Saturday, so all is not lost. Henrik has proven he’s up for the challenge, and offensively the Blueshirts started excellent. The Kings had no answer for their speed & pucks were flying at Quick from all angles. For some reason, though, they slowed down.
LA’s late first period goal off a careless Stepan turnover changed the feel of the game and, while the 2012 champs kept pouring it on as time elapsed, the Rangers became unsure of themselves. Instead of staying aggressive, they mustered as many shots in the final 45 minutes as they had in the first 20. Credit the Kings for ramping up the pressure – they dominated the third – but NY created plenty of chances where they were too passive and ended up without forcing Quick to make a save. So if the Blueshirts want to give themselves the best shot at getting even, it’s pretty simple. Keep forcing the issue. The difference in speed was evident. And when the puck is within the circles, fuck the extra pass. Shoot it. Not every goal has to be pretty, and a rebound off Quick onto a Rangers stick is just as good as a pass. The Kings will run through them if they’re gonna try to tic-tac-toe all series. If NY can replicate their first period effort for 60 minutes on Saturday though, home ice can still swing in their favor.