The Rangers cannot lose a game like this if they want to truly be a championship level team. A struggling Lightning team comes into their building without a top player and scores a shorthanded goal in the final two minutes to steal a victory.
The fact that the Rangers blew this is game is being lost in the frenzy over Artem Anisimov's goal celebration. Following his shorthanded goal that gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead Anisimov turned his stick around and pointed it like a rifle towards the Tampa Bay players and "fired." Tampa Bay responded as one would expect in going after Anisimov for what was clearly the wrong decision. It was a mistake for Anisimov to do such a thing, but I doubt there was any malicious intent to the action.
Maybe Anisimov's move sparked the Lightning, but anyone that thinks it is what cost the Rangers the game is mistaken as they had numerous chances to build on a 2-1 lead and finish off Tampa Bay.
- McDonagh struggled for the second straight game. Not looking for excuses for his play, but at some point we do have to wonder about the toll the minutes are taking on him right now.
- Del Zotto and Eminger both played solidly as the second pair without Sauer tonight. The fact that Eminger can play 18 minutes when necessary shows that Tortorella can ease off Girardi getting 32 minutes, McDonagh 27 and Del Zotto 26 a little bit.
