New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette was visibly frustrated after his team’s one-sided loss. While the final score reflected only a two-goal deficit, it did not accurately represent the Rangers’ performance as they suffered their second defeat in three games.
The Rangers aim to resolve their issues when they face the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. After a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals, Laviolette emphasized, “Defense involves attention to detail, but it also requires attitude.” He noted that success in defense relies heavily on effort and winning battles.
He pointed out that the team had been off in a couple of their last three games, affirming that strong defense is crucial for any successful team. When defense falters, the team spends too much time in their own zone, as the Rangers did, getting outshot 46-19 while committing 20 turnovers.
Nevertheless, there were some positives for the Rangers. Will Cuylle scored for the second consecutive game, while his linemate Filip Chytil added a goal, raising his point total to five (three goals, two assists) in the last four games. Chris Kreider netted his sixth goal of the season, tying Artemi Panarin for the team lead, but Panarin’s season-opening eight-game scoring run (six goals, nine assists) ended.
Panarin had been instrumental in last season’s two victories over Ottawa in three matchups. Igor Shesterkin, a former Vezina Trophy winner, recorded a 4-0 shutout against the Senators on April 15, improving his career record against them to 3-1-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage.
However, Shesterkin could face a challenge against an Ottawa team that has scored 34 goals in their last seven games (4-3-0), including a recent eight-goal outburst against the St. Louis Blues. Captain Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and the recently demoted Adam Gaudette each scored twice in that game.
Stutzle commented, “We hold ourselves accountable and want to make an impact every night; some nights we succeed, and others we don’t. But last night was crucial for us, and we worked hard.” He along with Claude Giroux assisted on two goals, with Stutzle extending his assist streak to a career-best five games and Giroux reaching a seven-game point streak (five goals, six assists).
