For all the positive adjustments the Rangers have made to their overall game since head coach Peter Laviolette took over, the cliché, “old habits die hard” can still ring true for a team that’s core has been together long enough to have a telling track record.
Friday night’s 4-3 loss to the Oilers was a tale as old as time for the Rangers: an outstanding goaltending performance was wasted as the club got caught up in east-west play.
Goalie Jonathan Quick, like Igor Shesterkin and Henrik Lundqvist before him on many other occasions, could not do it all himself against an Edmonton team that was motivated to win for their new head coach, Kris Knoblauch, in his first game against the organization he used to work for.
A wicked glove save on Evan Bouchard. Back-to-back stops on Zach Hyman in front while in a split.
The Garden chanted Quick’s name in unison for the very first time.
All for the 37-year-old to suffer his first loss in regulation this season.
He was the last goalie with at least 10 starts to do so.
“He’s the only reason we were in it to start the third,” captain Jacob Trouba said of Quick, who is among the NHL’s leaders in saves above expectation. “If you look at the full 60 minutes, just not how we want to play. Quickie has been outstanding for us all year. He played a great game tonight with some of the saves he made. Got to do a little bit more in front of him.”
Added head coach Peter Laviolette of the future Hall of Fame goalie’s efforts: “He gave us a chance. In the second period, he kept it where it was, but we needed to be better. We needed to be better in the second, we certainly needed to be better in the third.”
There wasn’t much intensity to the Rangers’ offensive pursuit Friday night, but the turnovers and forced cross-zone passes were detrimental — two aspects that have periodically popped up in their game this season and in seasons past.
Chris Kreider cited possible impatience for why some unnecessary risk crept into their play, as well as the Rangers’ inability to stick with what appeared to be working to at least contain Edmonton.
The Rangers, who have the second-highest shooting percentage against in the NHL, miss the net a lot when they fall into their east-west ways.
It’s impossible for them to truly challenge opposing goaltenders under such circumstances, which was clear in the way Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner didn’t have to face too many second chances or defend post to post.
Skinner may have finished with 31 saves, but it was a matter of quantity over quality.
“It was just a little bit too much east-west,” Blake Wheeler said. “I think when our team is playing at our best, we’re playing with a ton of speed heading north. We’re really tough to handle when we play that way. We’ve got a lot of guys who can skate really well.
“When we try to make plays at the blue line or try to force plays in at the top of circles, especially with world-class players on the other team, it’s not the best formula.”