The New York Rangers are feeling a bit frustrated with their night-and-day play as of late. On the road, this team has shown the ability to be dominant. They have outscored their opponents 15-5 across four road games. However, their play at home is a much different story.
The Rangers broke records for the longest goal drought at home to begin a season. They are the only team in NHL history to be shut out in their first three home games. And in terms of time, you’d have to go back to 1930 to find a team that went longer before scoring a goal at home.
New York finally broke through on Monday against the Minnesota Wild. Unfortunately, they managed just one goal, losing the game 3-1. After another home loss, players were inevitably asked about these struggles. Mika Zibanejad took the chance to air some frustrations.
“I have to score. Yes, I understand that. But I’m getting the chances. I’d be more worried if we didn’t get any chances, if I don’t get that chance, if we don’t get those chances. It’s frustrating for us. It’s frustrating for me. How many looks did we have, not just this game, overall? I honestly don’t know what else to do. Yeah, I don’t know,” the Rangers star said, via NHL.com.
Rangers Looking To Buck Another Concerning Trend
Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesThe New York Rangers finally scored their first goal on home ice on Monday.
The Rangers have to figure out how to score goals. However, they haven’t needed to score many goals to win their most recent games. In fact, each of their last five contests has been decided by two goals or less.
However, another concerning trend arises when examining those games. The Rangers have been within two or fewer goals in each of those contests. But they have only managed a single win — a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
It would have only taken a handful of goals to claim a win in any of the three home games during this stretch. Even their one road loss — 2-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs — came in overtime. If New York wants to start gaining their confidence, bucking this trend is a good place to start.
“We have to find a way to bear down in those tight 2-1 games,” captain J.T. Miller said, via NHL.com. “Let’s be honest, we didn’t deserve to win (Monday), but that was a game we could have stolen. It’s happened to us.”
New York Can Gain Confidence Before Road Trip
The Rangers won’t hit the ice again until Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. This is a home game at Madison Square Garden. It’s also a chance for them to gain confidence before their upcoming road trip.
San Jose has struggled mightily to begin the season. In fact, they are the only team in the league without a win on the season. A major reason is their issues with keeping the puck out of the net. The Sharks have allowed the third-most goals this year, behind the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators.
Of course, anything can happen in the NHL. New York cannot afford to overlook a young, hungry Sharks team. At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the opportunity facing the Rangers ahead of their four-game road trip.
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