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E-Edition
NEW YORK — Maybe it isn’t so much that the window for the New York Rangers is starting to close, as it is that other teams are forcing it shut.
Namely the New Jersey Devils, who now sit on top of the National Hockey League standings for the first time in nearly a decade after Monday night’s 5-3 win at Madison Square Garden, coming back from a two-goal deficit to extend a road winning streak to 10 games, tying a franchise record.
It’s the Devils who have emerged as what many expected the Rangers would be this year; the latter team has won just 10 of their first 23 games this season in a shocking start just one season removed from advancing all the way to the Eastern Conference Final. Monday’s loss marked back-to-back games of blowing multi-goal leads as well — they allowed four third period goals to the Edmonton Oilers in a stunning 4-3 loss on Saturday afternoon — in a clear sign of the fragility of a group that had never seemed to lack confidence or a killer instinct.
“I think this was better than the last game and that third period, I think we played hard the whole game,” said forward Filip Chytil. “I don’t know, we’ll see. We have to find out, we have to keep playing hard like that, but we have to find out what’s missing.”
Reigning Vezina trophy winner Igor Shesterkin placed the blame on himself, saying he had a “(crap) game” in trying to explain how several of those pucks ended in the back of his net, saying he was “ashamed” of his performance.
It was a sense of urgency that his head coach, Gerard Gallant, didn’t seem to share afterwards in answering a question about why his team seems to struggle in recovering from a drop-off in play, as they have in their most recent losses.
“I didn’t see the big drop-off tonight,” he said. “I think ‘Shesty’ said what he said, there was a couple goals that he would have liked to have had back. So, I don’t see it the same way you’re seeing it. I really don’t.”
Regardless of the reasons, the reality is that, in an “if the playoffs started today” scenario, the Rangers would not be a part of it, as they currently sit in a tie with the Florida Panthers in being one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
“I think there’s a little bit of frustration for everyone at this point,” said defenseman and team captain, Jacob Trouba. “The effort was there, we didn’t quit late in the game. Keep grinding, keep working through this.”
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