What is incomprehensible with the New York Rangers’ game plan, if you can call it a plan, is their consistent disappearance when it matters most.
On Monday night, the Rangers trailed the Washington Capitals, on home ice, and managed five shots on goal in a third period they needed to win to have any chance in the postseason race.
“Just another level of disappointment, really,” New York head coach David Quinn said. “Just didn’t get enough done this year. Had some great moments, some great stretches, but it just wasn’t enough.”
Five shots on goal; they were outshot 14-5.
Yes players need to self-motivate, but they need a coaching plan too, and this team doesn’t seem to have one.
Vitek Vanecek made 23 saves for the Caps in a 6-3 win.
“I think it is a gutsy win coming down the stretch,” the Capitals’ John Carlson said. “These are important points important games for us as a team, and I think there are a lot of guys battling extra hard. It wasn’t the easiest of games the way it turned out. I liked the way we stuck with it and overcame some adversity at different points in the game.”
Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Kaapo Kakko scored once for the Rangers who rallied from an 0-2 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the middle frame.
“We have still three games to play and we have to go out there and it’s going to be a good challenge every night,” Zibanejad said. “We want to end on some sort of high note here and have something to hopefully build off of, try to end the season in some good way. We’re just going to have to battle through this.”
Daniel Sprong continued his recent hot streak with his fifth goal in five games; Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway had a goal and two points on the night.
“I thought it was a good forecheck by us, and that’s something that we take a lot of pride in,” Hathaway said. “Yeah, we got the puck to the net, but it was that relentless effort from [Carl Hagelin] and from ‘Dowder’ that got them on their heels. And then the puck was laying there for me.”
Conor Sheary and Nicklas Backstrom also scored for the Caps who reclaimed first in the East with the loss of the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Tom Wilson scored an empty-net goal to put some icing on the cake for the Caps.
Igor Shesterkin made 34 saves in the loss.
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