The Rangers’ star players started this series off strong, and now they’ll have to finish strong.
As soon as the Broadway Blueshirts stopped receiving consistent contributions from their top skaters, the team became a shell of itself en route to disappointing losses in Games 3, 4 and 5 of this first-round playoff series against the Devils.
“If you’re going to move on, it’s your top players,” head coach Gerard Gallant said after the Rangers held a lightly attended optional practice at MSG Training Center in Tarrytown. “But, honestly, it’s always a 20-man thing in the playoffs. You look around the league and guys who don’t score many goals, they score some big goals for you. Everybody has to be a part of it. I expect it [Monday] to be a great game.”
After members of the top six accounted for seven of the Rangers’ 10 goals through the first two games, either at even-strength or on the power play, they only mustered up two in the next three losses.
The Rangers struggled to generate offensive pressure as the Devils forced them to the outside and made significant adjustments in how they defended on the penalty kill.
The team’s top guns returned to form in a series-tying Game 6 on Saturday night at the Garden.
Mika Zibanejad scored his first goal of the series, while Vladimir Tarasenko recorded his third after posting one in each of the Rangers’ first two victories.
Chris Kreider also resumed the tear he was on to start the series, netting his sixth goal — five of which have come on the power play — in the Game 6 win.
Artemi Panarin, who declined to talk about his game following practice Sunday, is still searching for his first tally of the series.
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Patrick Kane had one vintage performance with three points in Game 2, but there hasn’t been much “Showtime” action otherwise.
The top six that started the series was spread out throughout the lineup in response to the three losses.
The top nine is now not only a bit deeper, but also more balanced.
“We’re looking to do what we can to win a series and it’s down to one game here,” said Vincent Trocheck, who has been a pest all series long with one goal through six games. “Whether it’s top six, bottom six, doesn’t really matter. As a team, we’re going out there and looking to do the right things. Whether it comes from one guy, six guys, doesn’t really matter as long as we end up with more goals than them at the end of the day.”
The Rangers held an optional practice Sunday afternoon at MSG Training Center, where Panarin, Trocheck and Tarasenko were the only regulars to participate.
Kreider will be skating in his ninth career Game 7 Monday night. He has gone 8-1.