Given the way the Rangers have been going over the past two and a half weeks, Tuesday’s game against the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden is shaping up to be as big a game as it could be in November.
No, it’s not a make-or-break season. Nor will it be a loss that would trigger the alarm if there is one.
The Blueshirts need to come out strong at home – where they were embarrassed last week by the Sabers – and compete much better and much harder than they have of late if they hope to remember not only themselves, but also to the rest of the NHL, that they can compete against the best in the league because they are one of the best in the league.
Anything less than a complete and unwavering team effort will be a colossal disappointment.
“They’re obviously playing well, so we’re going to have to make sure we clean up some things on our end and make sure we’re playing straight,” Braden Schneider told the Post after Jonathan Quick assisted. the Rangers steal a victory against the Red Wings Saturday night in Detroit. “It’s a big, heavy group that has the talent we have to put away pucks. This will be our biggest test yet and I hope we can come out on top.
The Rangers lost touch with who they were to start the season – even though it came up against inferior teams. Everything from the way they attack the game, their structure and their shooting has faded.
Now they’re coming off a collapse against the Sabres, the fifth-worst team in the Eastern Conference last season. And being surrendered by the Red Wings, whom the Rangers demolished twice in the first month of the season, despite a 4-0 victory.
Their average Corsi percentage through 10 five-on-five games — which measures a team’s puck possession and shot attempts — has been steadily declining since late October, according to Natural Stat Trick.
After hovering around 50 percent for much of the first month of the season, the Blueshirts have dipped below.
They are putting fewer pucks on net, creating far fewer pucks in the offensive zone and missing the bite they had last month.
This speaks to how little possession they’ve had of the puck lately, meaning it’s been on their opponent’s sticks and the numbers show it.
“I think I’ll continue to work on our process,” Chris Kreider said. “As we continue to improve our breakaways, I think there are still too many times where we have given up on almost strange situations where our F3 is a bit stuck. This is an effective, but smart, forecheck so that we don’t give up on odd man runs and put as much pressure on our goalies to make saves for us.
After beating the Stars 4-1 on Saturday night, the Jets set a new NHL record with their 14th victory in their first 15 games of the season. They’re coming off back-to-back first-round playoff runs and are playing with the kind of chip on their shoulder that can carry a team through an 82-game campaign — much like the one the Blueshirts had last season after their first match. debacle against the Devils in 2023.
May I remind you that Rangers were the better team last season. They’re basically the same team and it’s time they start looking like that again.
“They’re number one for a reason,” Schneider said of the Jets. “We have to make sure we are ready to do our best. Because I think when we do, I think we’re just as good. I think it’s going to be a challenge and we need to make sure we’re ready to go.
It doesn’t have to be a blowout win, but the Rangers need to battle the Jets and show some consistency for 60 minutes against a red-hot team.
The recovery must begin now.
What better time than against the best team in the NHL?
