article: Rangers Miss Playoffs, Struggles Against East Elite Among Reasons

Synopsis from NHL.com

https://www.nhl.com/news/new-york-rangers-miss-playoffs/c-324337792?tid=277548856

'What went wrong

Struggles vs. East's best: The Rangers have had problems against the top four teams who reached the playoffs from the MassMutual East Division, going 10-15-4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Capitals, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, including 2-5-1 against the Islanders and 2-4-2 against the Penguins. They have two games left against the Bruins and one against the Capitals....

Down and out: The Rangers are 6-14-4 in games when they give up the first goal, 5-11-4 when trailing after the first period and 1-14-0 trailing after two. Translation: They've struggled to handle in-game adversity, such as when they give up early goals and have to play from behind.'

Synopsis from NHL.com

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/new-york-rangers-miss-playoffs/c-324337792?tid=277548856

 

'What went wrong

Struggles vs. East's best: The Rangers have had problems against the top four teams who reached the playoffs from the MassMutual East Division, going 10-15-4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Capitals, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, including 2-5-1 against the Islanders and 2-4-2 against the Penguins. They have two games left against the Bruins and one against the Capitals....

 

Down and out: The Rangers are 6-14-4 in games when they give up the first goal, 5-11-4 when trailing after the first period and 1-14-0 trailing after two. Translation: They've struggled to handle in-game adversity, such as when they give up early goals and have to play from behind.'

This is so painfully obvious. It goes with the notion of getting older, bigger players this summer to help weather storms. When Trouba went out, the team fell apart and it's been one embarrassment after another since then. They need some experience on that bench and in the lineup. Getzlaf, for instance. Krecji. Toews. These are all names that have been thrown around here that aren't as sexy as Eichel, but they actually fix the real problem.

This is so painfully obvious. It goes with the notion of getting older, bigger players this summer to help weather storms. When Trouba went out, the team fell apart and it's been one embarrassment after another since then. They need some experience on that bench and in the lineup. Getzlaf, for instance. Krecji. Toews. These are all names that have been thrown around here that aren't as sexy as Eichel, but they actually fix the real problem.

Right, so the standard answer is that young players need to learn how to make winning hockey plays at the NHL level (ex. dump the puck deep instead of turning the puck over at the blue line). I agree that a more veteran team would be more poised and able to come back. Of course, you need your young players to play meaningful minutes, learn to play the right way at the NHL level, and learn to overcome adversity. I do agree that the young players would be well-served to have a true captain in the locker room, as well as a tough veteran that forechecks hard, goes to the net, hustles back on the backcheck, and plays with intensity. But given all our young players that we are hoping to develop, our roster is not going to change into the Islanders overnight. Bringing in a Getzlaf or Krecji or Toews is probably more money than I want to spend

Paquette, Simmonds, Nosek there's affordable veterans that will be UFA.

https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/forward/ufa/

Right, so the standard answer is that young players need to learn how to make winning hockey plays at the NHL level (ex. dump the puck deep instead of turning the puck over at the blue line). I agree that a more veteran team would be more poised and able to come back.

There is obviously an element of this. But it's a bit of an easy out too, because for the majority of the season you've had Mika/Buch/Kreider and Strome/Panarin/Trouba/Smith etc being just as guilty as anybody in not being able to raise their games when things get tough. I think it's a combination of a young team, a lack of leadership from veteran players and coaching - and a current roster construction that isn't capable of competing when games get tough and bogged down.

There's been so many games in the last couple of years where you knew they were going to lose after 5 shifts. Many of these games were lost before the puck dropped.

In general, young players struggle to execute the game plan to perfection night after night during a long and grueling NHL season. That doesn't feel like the main issue watching this team.