A long and emotional week for the Rangers ended with a loss in a winnable game.
Losing a two-goal lead at a time when the team needs to rebuild might be the most disappointing situation that could befall the Blueshirts at this point, but a 7-5 loss is certainly one. The Kraken took to the ice at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.
Facing a team from Seattle in the final game of a four-game trip to the East, the Rangers took control early and then pivoted, allowing their clearly depleted opponent to ease back into the game. .
The Rangers went on the offensive in the final 20 minutes of the game, scoring twice in a span of 2 minutes and 31 seconds on goals from Quandre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere. That came after the Kraken built a 6-3 advantage.
This had the Garden bursting with hope once again, but Yanni Gould's empty net goal halted the rally.
The Rangers are exploiting weaknesses in their schedule to close the gap at the top of the Metropolitan Division and officially get this season back on track.
The Kraken were at the bottom of the Pacific Division, and this was supposed to be a start.
The NHL's final team, the Blackhawks, will step into the Garden on Monday. The Blueshirts need to start there.
Seattle had Ryan Lindgren sent off for an elbow injury just 14 seconds into the second period, and Oliver Bjorkstand's power-play goal tied the score at 1-1 just 1:46 into the second period.
However, a strong push from the Rangers created a two-goal lead in less than two minutes.
It started with Filip Szitil creating an end-to-end play, with the Czech center deftly moving the puck through traffic and getting it out of the Rangers' zone. After a rush, Chytil scored on a centering feed from Kaapo Kakko to give Rangers a 2-1 lead.
Vincent Trocheck's power-play goal then gave the Blueshirts a two-point cushion.
The change in momentum was clear and swift, whether it was the Rangers falling back or the Kraken furious with the game. Seattle started swarming the Rangers' zone and managed to score two points in just 1:28, tying the score with less than five minutes left in midfield.
Lindgren lost the first shot when Brandon Tanev found the back of the net, and in the second Eeli Tolvanen's one-time shot deflected off the top corner of Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick.
The Rangers lost a tie in the defensive zone, giving the Kraken their first lead of the day. Bjorkstand scored their second goal of the game when Brandon Montour's shot deflected wide of the goal.
It was as if all the air had been sucked out of both the Rangers and Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers held the offensive zone very well in the first period, doubling the Kraken's shots on goal to 12-6. They attacked Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer from all angles and handled the puck, resulting in cleaner breakouts and smoother transitions up the ice.
It's been just over a week since Riley Smith suffered his first healthy injury since joining the Rangers this offseason, but the veteran wing has been outstanding through his first three games back. There is.
Smith, who scored his second goal of the game, cleaned up the rebound of Miller's shot to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead at the 3:38 mark of the first period.
