On Thursday night, Patrick Kane made his debut as a member of the New York Rangers. However, only time will tell what kind of impact he will make on the team. For now, the Rangers boast one of the most talented forward groups in the NHL, with a unique blend of high-end skill, grit, and a mix of youth and veteran players.
Unfortunately, the Rangers lost 5-3 to the Ottawa Senators, which put a damper on Kane’s debut as a Blueshirt. This loss also revealed the Rangers’ fatigue as they played shorthanded for the second straight game. The NHL determined that the Rangers “voluntarily” put themselves in a man-short situation and, therefore, opted not to approve their emergency recall.
As a result, the Rangers were without Ryan Lindgren due to an upper-body injury and K’Andre Miller, who was serving a three-game suspension. The defense corps was visibly gassed, and Tyler Motte suffered an upper-body injury in the first period.
Despite Chris Kreider opening the scoring in the first period with a shorthanded breakaway goal, the Senators scored twice in the middle frame to take a 2-1 lead. However, the Rangers quickly responded, with Jacob Trouba scoring to tie the game at 2-2. Vladimir Tarasenko later gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
The Rangers had four opportunities to try out their new power-play units, including a five-minute man-advantage in the first period. However, neither unit gave a stellar first impression. Motte’s injury also highlighted the importance of the Rangers finding their offensive groove before the playoffs.
In conclusion, although the loss to the Senators may have put a cloud over the Rangers’ Walking on Sunshine aura, the team has a lot of potential. They will need to go goal-for-goal with their opponents on a game-by-game basis, but with the talent they possess, they could do a lot of damage to a scoreboard.
»Patrick Kane makes debut as a member of the New York Rangers«
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