Neither the Pittsburgh Penguins nor the New York Rangers got off to the start they wanted when the NHL resumed league play Saturday. Both teams will get a second chance on Sunday when the Rangers visit the Penguins.
The Rangers, who are four points back of the Ottawa Senators and the Detroit Red Wings for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, fell behind 5-0 after a period in an 8-2 loss at the Buffalo Sabres. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, gave up five straight to the Washington Capitals, as a 2-2 game turned into an 8-3 rout on home ice.
Rangers forward J.T. Miller, who assisted on both goals Saturday, said he expected the team to have a little rust coming out of the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. However, he said the skaters “left the goalies hanging out to dry.”
Playing less than 24 hours later gives them a chance to quickly move on from the blowout.
“If we wake up pouting about the game tomorrow, we’re going to be in trouble,” said Miller, whom the Rangers acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31. “I think we’re going to be a responding group tomorrow. It sucks right now, but come tomorrow morning, we got a task at hand. … It’s a big game for us. So I expect we’ll be ready.”
Miller now has six points (two goals, four assists) in six games for New York. Chris Kreider scored his 17th goal of the season on a power play in the loss. That gives the winger, who has spent his 13-year career in Manhattan, 116 goals with the man advantage and ties him with Camille Henry for the franchise record.
Unlike the Rangers, Pittsburgh did not fall way behind immediately on Saturday. In fact, coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that he liked how his team played through the middle of the second period. At that point, the Penguins were down a goal but were outshooting the Capitals and up significantly in attack zone time.
Then, Sullivan lamented that he started seeing mistakes similar to those the team made during the opening month of the season, when a six-game losing streak (0-5-1) left them at 3-7-1 after their first 11 games.
“We chased offense, and when you chase offense and you don’t have a recognition of risk-reward, you wind up giving your opponent easy offense,” he said. “And as a result, that’s what we get. We beat ourselves in so many different ways. That’s the most disappointing part.”
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby played Saturday despite being considered a game-time decision to give him some rest after representing Canada in the 4 Nations. He scored his 18th goal of the season. That goal, which tied the game at 2, also gave him 610 in his career, tying him with Bobby Hull for 18th in league history.
With the loss to Washington, the Penguins remain at 55 points. That’s three behind the Rangers. However, Sullivan’s team currently ranks last in the Metropolitan Division and sits only four points ahead of the Sabres, who reside in the conference cellar.
–Field Level Media
