NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Rangers were rightfully proud of their win Thursday over the Red Wings, in which they put together the kind of 60-minute effort they’ve been coveting and finished it off with an offensive explosion in the final 20 minutes.
There are still areas of their game, however, that can be tightened up in order to make it a bit easier on themselves. They could use a contest or two that doesn’t come down to the third period, or overtime, or a shootout.
The Rangers have been on the wrong end of too many odd-man rushes lately. Coach Gerard Gallant has said it, the players have said it, and yet the team as a whole has still fallen victim to it game after game.
Late in the first period of their eventual 8-2 win Thursday, an aggressive pinch from defenseman Adam Fox allowed Detroit to break out on a three-on-two race, which ended with a goal off a snipe from Red Wings center Joe Veleno to tie the score at one-all with just over a minute left in the period.
Rangers coach Gerard GallantAP “Me and Laf [Alexis Lafreniere] talked in between periods, kind of got caught in the middle of going and not going and that’s the worst part,” Fox told The Post. “You got to either do it or don’t do it. Got caught in the middle, we had a little miscue and then they kind of got it. Obviously, it’s unfortunate, we just got one and that happened.”
It’s not just the rushes against, but also the sequences of carelessness with the puck. The Rangers are a pass-first team, which isn’t bad, except when it gets them in trouble. Too many times in the first two periods Thursday night, the Red Wings were able to disrupt the Rangers in the neutral zone or break up clearing attempts.
Defenseman K’Andre Miller’s clearing attempt in the second period landed right on the stick of Detroit captain Dylan Larkin, who sent a crisp feed to Lucas Raymond for a one-timer and a 2-1 Red Wings lead.
The Rangers need to find a healthy balance of aggression while also taking care of the puck. With so much skill throughout the lineup, a good portion of their offensive success comes from taking a gamble on certain plays — and they have proven to be capable of making those count.
“We’ve talked about it, we want the D to be a little aggressive, but you got to have that forward support,” Fox said. “That one [in the first], Laf was there, but the third has got to me because I got caught in the middle. I think we’re at our best when we are aggressive and keeping the puck in the zone and maintaining play. We don’t want to keep backing out, letting them break out. If you’re going to do something, just commit to it. I think that’s the biggest thing.”
