Rangers legend Mark Messier had already said the team was playing “too cautious” and “too conservative,” but that was before the Blueshirts lost to the Panthers in Game 1. Ta.
Even with a 3-0 loss on Wednesday night, he is certainly of the opinion that the Rangers need Matt Lempe back in the lineup for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. It won’t change.
During ESPN’s second break, Messier explained why the Rangers need to get the popular bruiser back in the lineup.
“They have to be emotional,” Messier began. “Perhaps they [Matt] “We’ve got Rempe in the lineup. … I’m not questioning the coach, but he’s on the forecheck. He’s doing some ground-and-pound. He gets the crowd involved and the guys seem to be following that mentality.”
“Right now they’re playing but in my opinion they’re being a bit too cautious.”
The Rangers hadn’t played since beating the Hurricanes on Thursday night to reach the conference finals, but that’s how it felt for much of Tuesday’s game.
The Blueshirts were limited to just 12 shots in the first two periods of the game and allowed an own goal in the third, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback late in the game.
The Rangers lost in Game 1 to the Panthers. NHLI via Getty Images
“I feel that we have better things to do and I think we need to look at ourselves first and foremost and think about what we need to improve on. There is room for improvement, not room for improvement. “There is,” Mika Zibangedo told reporters.
That ugly night marked the Rangers’ first shutout loss at home since the first round of the 2016 playoffs, when the Penguins beat the Rangers 5-0 in Game 5 of the 2016 season.
