For the seventh time in 14 contests, the New York Rangers scored two or fewer goals in a game. Most know that is not a successful formula for winning in the NHL.
Many of the issues for the Blueshirt’s woes have focused on too many turnovers and too many lost battles for pucks.
While that is also true, there is another issue that has also plagued the Rangers in the offensive zone: Too many passes.
This issue is especially evident on the power play, as during last week’s 1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins, the Rangers went scoreless on six power-play attempts.
Head coach David Quinn discussed this issue during his post-game Zoom conference. “We pass when we should shoot. We shoot when we should pass. We just make bad decisions and we are slow,†Quinn said.
This has actually been an issue for a while with this team. Last year, their power-play was compared to the Harlem Globetrotters playing keep-away with the basketball from their hapless opponents rather than trying to make a basket.
It was the same thing with the Rangers. Quite a lot of passing, not a lot of shooting.
An interesting quote from the New York Rangers post-practice Zoom conference
However, something that was mentioned in Wednesday’s post-practice Zoom conference might have turned on a light bulb for some of the Blueshirts.
Ryan Strome mentioned that he asked goaltender Alexandar Georgiev what he is seeing as a goaltender. Strome said Georgiev told him “Throw pucks at the net. Teams are expecting us to make that extra pass.”
Sounds simple. Sounds like something that Quinn has probably mentioned to them before.
However, sometimes, coaches are like parents. We have a tendency to tune them out after a while. Sometimes we need that same reminder from a peer instead of an authority figure.
The Rangers are getting production from guys like Colin Blackwell, Kevin Rooney, and Julian Gauthier, who have scored three of the last four goals for the Rangers.
They have scored by working hard and getting the puck to the net.
As Strome said later in that conference “sometimes when things aren’t going well you need to simplify.”
On Thursday night against the Flyers, we will find out if some of the Rangers take this message to heart.