Two massive take aways from the New York Rangers 6-1 blowout loss against the Sabres
The New York Rangers were steamrolling the competition early in the beginning of the season. Now almost a month into regular season play the team suffered a devastating loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
The lack of effort saw the Sabres score 6 goals, 5 on Igor Shesterkin, and 1 on backup goalie Jonathan Quick.
There was an obvious gap between the two teams, as theBuffalo Sabres seemed to have found the Rangers' recipe for success. Score often, and in bunches.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette saw the result happen over time and would blame lack of solid defensive play, as part of the reason for the loss.
"We didn't go after them," he said. "We didn't attack them."
While the team only let in 22 shots on goal, a season-low, there was a lack of effort to control variables, and mistakes happened.
Line Changes and Defensive Game
Are the line changes helping or hurting? It seems that even if Laviolette is attempting to spark offense again, it didn't seem like it helped last night.
Seeing as he broke up the top two lines which had excellent chemistry built from last season.
While the moves were intended to wake up Mika Zibanejad, was it successful?
Zibanejad was placed in the middle of Panarin and Lafrenière, and while it's only been two games together, they're yet to produce a goal. Meanwhile, the new lines center by Chytil and Troch
Zibanejad found a new him between Lafreniere and Panarin, and it looks like that experiment is failing as well. Could the fact of the matter be that whatever chemistry he built is gone?
The defense didn't offer much resistance in the way of protecting Igor Shesterkin, as he placed old partners together. Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox paired together, along with K'Andre Miller, and Captain Jacob Trouba.
Miller and Trouba came out of the night with a -3 with Sam Lafferty, and Dylan Cozens taking advantage of the lack of net coverage.
Lindgren's own puck battles and defensive lapses saw him give up a goal from Jordan Greenway and Rasmus Dahlin.
He hasn't looked right since his return after a broken jaw but is now a top-pairing defenseman once again.
"We really unraveled in the second," Trouba said. "Our goalie has kind of kept us in this thing the first 12 games, so we've got to better defensively."
Thanks to Zac Jones, and Will Cuylle the Rangers would avoid a shut-out bu tby then the damage was done.
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