The New York Rangers are off to a rough start this preseason. The Blue Shirts dropped back-to-back 5-4 losses, first to the Boston Bruins, then to the New York Islanders, blowing third-period leads each time.
On Tuesday night, the Rangers headed into the third period up 4-1. The surrendered three unanswered goals in the third, and then the game-winner in overtime. The losing goalie was Talyn Boyko, who surrendered four goals on 24 shots.
On Thursday night, the Rangers were up 4-2 against the Islanders entering the third period. Three unanswered third-period goals later, the Isles pulled out a 5-4 win. Against the Islanders, it was Dylan Garand who gave up three goals on 10 shots to take the loss.
So, back-to-back blown third-period leads. Is that something Rangers fans should lose sleep over? Hardly not, at least not at this point.
Preseason games are meaningless in the standings. But they do serve to paint a picture of what could be trends for the season ahead. In this case, blowing third-period leads is not something the Rangers want to make a habit of this season.
Considering how competitive the Metro Division figures to be, locking games down in the third period will be crucial. Allowing points to slip away due to late-game lapses could be a recipe for disaster.
Rangers Must Focus on Playing Full 60 Minutes
Playing a full 60 minutes is something teams often struggle with. It’s a cliché many times, but it’s easy for teams to neglect playing three periods. Often, teams play two great periods, then allow the opposition to get back into the game in the third.
Last season, the Rangers blew 15 leads, with eight of them coming in the third period. As such, would those eight blown leads have been the difference between making and missing the playoffs?
It’s certainly an interesting possibility to ponder. The NHL is so competitive now that teams make and miss the playoffs by a handful of points. Games squandered in November weigh heavily on the outcome in April.
That’s why the Rangers cannot afford to let points slip away early in the season. The club must get off to a strong start if it is to make the playoffs this season.
Goaltending Depth Could Be a Concern
In the two consecutive losses, it was the Rangers’ depth goalies who surrendered the third-period goals. In particular, Dylan Garand looked out of place against the Islanders. He hardly seemed comfortable.
That situation could be concerning for the Rangers, as having their depth goalies struggle is hardly conducive to sustained success. Jonathan Quick is getting up in age. Meanwhile, starter Igor Shesterkin can’t play all 82 games even if he wanted to.
So, the Rangers will need to rely on their depth goalies to provide cover when needed. But judging from the current showing, the Blue Shirts may need to dip into the free-agent market or the waiver wire to find reliable support for their current goaltending tandem.
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