As good as the Rangers have been 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 any in November.
No, it's not something that will make or break the season. And even if it's one, it's not a loss that would have set off the alarm.
The Blueshirts, if they want to remind themselves as well as the rest of the NHL, came out strong last week at home, where they were humiliated by the Sabers, and are much better and much tougher than they have been recently. We need to fight. They're one of the best teams in the league, so that means they can go toe-to-toe with the best players in the league.
Anything less than a complete and unwavering team effort will be very disappointing.
“They're obviously playing well, so we've got to make sure we work out some things that come out of our side and make sure we're able to play straight,” Braden Schneider said. – told the Post after Quick's help. The Rangers defeated the Red Wings in Detroit on Saturday night. “They're a big, heavy group with a talent for us to put away the puck. This will be our biggest test yet and hopefully we can come out on top.”
The Rangers were left wondering who would start the season, even though they were playing against a lower-ranked team. Everything about their game, from the way they attack to the structure to the fire, has slowed down.
Now, they are coming off a collapse against the Sabers, who were the fifth-worst team in the Eastern Conference last season. And despite going 4-0, the Rangers defeated the Red Wings twice in the first month of the season.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the average 10-game 5-on-5 Corsi percentage, which measures a team's puck possession and shot attempts, has been steadily declining since late October.
The Blueshirts have dropped below that after hovering around 50 percent through much of the first month of the season.
They're putting fewer pucks on net, creating far fewer pucks in the offensive zone, and they're losing that bite they just got last month.
This is a testament to how little they have the puck these days, which means the puck is on the opponent's stick, and the numbers show it.
“I think we'll continue to work through the process,” Chris Crider said. “While I continue to improve my breakout, I still think I’ve given up too many times in almost odd situations where the F3 gets caught a little bit. He doesn't give up or put pressure on the goaltender to stop.”
After defeating the Stars 4-1 on Saturday night, the Jets set a new NHL record with their 14th win in the first 15 games of the season. They have two straight first-round playoff losses and are playing with enough weight on their shoulders to carry the team through an 82-game campaign — something the Blueshirts experienced last season in their first year. It's like — a big mistake against the Devils in 2023.
Remember, the Rangers were the best team last regular season. It's essentially the same team, and it's time to start looking like that again.
“There's a reason they're No. 1,” Schneider said of the Jets. “We have to make sure we're ready to do our best because I think when we do, we're just as good. I think it's going to be a challenge and we're not going to be ready.” I need to check if it is.”
It doesn't necessarily have to be a big win, but the Rangers will have to play against the Jets and show some consistency over 60 minutes against a deep-red team.
The change in direction must begin now.
What better time than playing against the best team in the NHL?
