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Rangers fall 5-3 to Ducks for sixth loss in seven games: Takeaways
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- Rangers fall 5-3 to Ducks for sixth loss in seven games: Takeaways
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers didn't lack for effort against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night. What they did lack was the goal they needed to tie the game in the final minutes of regulation. Instead, Cutter Gauthier 's second of the night into an empty net sealed a 5-3 victory – their fourth straight win and the Rangers' sixth loss in seven games.
New York trailed 4-2 before Vladislav Gavrikov scored a power-play goal at 7:11 of the third period to make it a one-goal game. The Rangers pushed for the tying goal and has two overlapping power-play opportunities in the final six minutes, including 22 seconds of a 5-on-3 advantage. They had Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal flopping around his crease like a seal at times but couldn't get the tying goal.
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The Rangers pulled goaltender Spencer Martin with 1:20 left and nearly tied it on a tip-in try by J.T Miller, but Dostal stopped that and Gauthier sealed it with 36 seconds remaining.
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It was a disappointing way to start their three-game California trip. The Rangers dropped to 1-5-1 in their past seven games; they ended a five-game slide on Saturday with a 6-3 road win against the Philadelphia Flyers . They're now 1-1-0 since general manager Chris Drury's letter to fans on Friday basically writing off this season and saying some veterans could soon find themselves playing elsewhere.
Three of those veterans accounted for most of the offense. Team scoring lead Artemi Panarin scored a power-play goal and had an assist. While Miller and fellow center Vincent Trocheck each contributed two assists. Martin, making his second straight start, finished with 21 saves. Expect Jonathan Quick to be in goal against his old team when the Rangers play the second of back-to-back games against the Kings in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The Rangers came out strong, pressuring the Ducks in their own zone and grabbing the lead four minutes into the game as the result of an excellent forecheck.
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Miller and Mika Zibanejad worked to get the puck back to the left point for rookie defenseman Matthew Robertson, whose long slap shot slipped between Dostal's body and his arm to put the Rangers up 1-0. It was Robertson's third goal and second against the Ducks.
But Robertson was accidentally involved in the Ducks' tying goal at 11:31. Pavel Mintyukov was falling to his knees when he swiped the puck across the slot. It deflected off Robertson and caromed right to Mason McTavish , who zipped it into the net before Martin could move.
The 1-1 tie lasted through the end of a low-event opening period, one that saw the Rangers outshoot Anaheim 6-5 and get the only three high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.
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The Blueshirts got the game's first power play when rookie Bennett Sennecke was called for high-sticking at 2:31 and grabbed the lead again at 4:03 when Panarin rocketed a one-timer past Dostal from the right circle at 4:03. But the 2-1 advantage last only until 8:29, when Jeffrey Viel , a forward acquired by the Ducks from the Boston Bruins on Friday, tied the game.
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Martin stopped a shot by Ryan Poehling after the Rangers failed on multiple clearing attempts. But he was out of position when the rebound came to Viel, who was all alone and quickly snapped it into the net for his first point in 12 games this season — and his first NHL goal since March 22, 2022.
Anaheim took its first lead at 18:02 by scoring on its second power play. With Will Cuylle off for high-sticking, Braden Schneider didn't get much on his attempted clear from behind the net, and the puck slid came to former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba at the right point. Martin stopped Trouba's slap shot, but the puck leaked through his pads and into the crease, where Alex Killorn shoveled it into the wide-open net to put the Ducks up 3-2.
The Ducks made it 4-2 at 1:01 of the third period when the Rangers again failed to clear their zone and Drew Helleson found Gauthier alone in the slot for a quick shot past Martin.
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Gavrikov's goal got the visitors close, but Dostal held them off until Gauthier celebrated his 22nd birthday with his second goal of the game and 22nd of the season.
Key takeaways after Rangers lose 5-3 to Ducks
Panarin, Zibanejad still streaking
Panarin's goal extended his points streak to 10 games. He also had the primary helper on Gavrikov's goal, giving him a 10-game assist streak.
The Rangers have already told the 34-year-old impending UFA that they won't offer him another contract and are willing to work with him on a trade. He continues to put up points while not letting any uncertainty about where he might wind up bother his on-ice play.
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The Breadman isn't the only Ranger with a lengthy point streak. Zibanejad's first-period assist extended his points streak to nine games.
Each has 18 points during his streak: Panarin has five goals and 13 assists, while Zibanejad has nine of each.
Blueshirts get out-goaltended
With Igor Shesterkin still out with a lower-body injury and a struggling Quick set to play against his former team, Martin got the call again – and showed why he's career journeyman.
Anaheim's second and third goals came after Martin stopped shots but could not control the puck. Viel, who was a spare part in Boston better known as a fighter, was more than happy to cash in Poehling's rebound to tie the game, and Killorn had a wide-open net after Trouba's unscreened slapper got through his pads.
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It's not like Quick has been very good; he's 3-10-2 and hasn't won since Nov. 7. And Martin did make a few good stops among his 21 saves. But the sooner the Rangers get Shesterkin back in the net and can return Martin to Hartford, the better.
Rangers pay for careless play
Getting the puck out of your own zone is Hockey 101. Good teams get over their blue line and onto the attack.
But the Rangers, playing in front of the organization's No. 4 goaltender, handled the puck like a hot potato for much of the night, committing turnover after turnover and giving Anaheim the hockey equivalent of a "short field" in football.
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Most notable on this night was Schneider, who was "credited" with four turnovers – including the one that resulted in Killorn's goal. But he was far from the only culprit.
"It's tough when you turn the puck over the way we turned it over," an unhappy coach Mike Sullivan said. "And when you're careless with the puck, and you give them those kinds of opportunities, they're going to end up in your net."
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