NEWARK – As spring allergies kick in for many of us, the Rangers are fighting a different kind of aversion.
They’re allergic to three-game winning streaks.
Saturday's 4-0 loss to the Devils at Prudential Center ensured the drought would continue, with these bumbling Blueshirts failing to string together three straight victories since Nov. 14-19. That disparaging run has spanned 58 games, for those counting at home.
Their Hudson River rival dashed those hopes, despite missing their best player (Jack Hughes) and top defenseman (Dougie Hamilton) due to injuries.
The Rangers (36-33-7) entered as winners of two in a row, but they can't maintain a modicum of momentum in a season that's felt doomed for months. And their playoff odds are dwindling with each disappointing result.
They're two games behind the Montreal Canadiens for the Eastern Conference's second and final wild card with six games to play, but that deficit could increase before the day is through. The Habs will have a chance to pad their lead against the Flyers on Saturday evening, while the Blue Jackets could tie New York with a win over the Maple Leafs. Columbus will finish the day with a game in hand, as well.
Power play stubbornness
The Rangers, who have now been outscored by a combined 9-0 margin in two games at Prudential Center this season, only have themselves to blame.
None of the teams vying for the No. 8 seed have shown they're capable of pulling away, but it feels like the Blueshirts lead the NHL in self-inflicted wounds and stubbornness.
They've stuck to a man-to-man defensive system that feels ill-suited for this group of personnel while urging a roster filled with east-west players to play more north-south. That's led to lopsided shot and possession rates, as well as comically bad defense, with the Rangers constantly chasing and rarely in control.
The disconnect has been most glaring lately on special teams, which had long been a team strength but has devolved into a crippling weakness.
The Devils broke a scoreless tie four seconds into their first power play, with Timo Meier blasting a one-timer for the first of his two goals at the 10:56 mark of the first period. But the real backbreaker came when the Rangers received a power-play chance less than a minute later.
The sequence started with Artemi Panarin and J.T. Miller losing a puck to Jersey defenseman Brenden Dillon behind the Devils' net, with Dillon pushing a pass ahead to Jesper Bratt that sparked a three-on-one rush against the sleeping New York PP.
Bratt passed to Nico Hischier, who sent the puck right back for a shorthanded finish that pushed Jersey's lead to 2-0.
BrattGPT, show me a filthy goal.
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