{"id":167273,"date":"2021-01-31T10:17:07","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T07:17:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/rangers-not-gaining-traction-with-two-goalie-strategy\/"},"modified":"2021-01-31T10:17:07","modified_gmt":"2021-01-31T07:17:07","slug":"rangers-not-gaining-traction-with-two-goalie-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/rangers-not-gaining-traction-with-two-goalie-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"#Rangers not gaining traction with two-goalie strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Rangers not gaining traction with two-goalie strategy<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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There has to be more than meets the eye \u2014 or maybe, in this case, the ear \u2014 to David Quinn\u2019s explanation of why the Rangers went with Alex Georgiev in nets on Saturday against the Penguins instead of coming right back to Igor Shesterkin off his strong performance in Thursday\u2019s overtime victory in Buffalo.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously the circumstances have changed here since last year without having Hank [Lundqvist] here,\u201d the coach said. \u201cI just thought for the short-term we\u2019re going to go every other [game<\/a>] with these guys for a while, and see how it goes regardless of how they play and give them a little clearer picture and maybe some more comfort in what the schedule is and who\u2019s going to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I don\u2019t know how long we\u2019re going to do it, but that will be the app<\/a>roach in the short term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgiev was not up to snuff in this one, surrendering five goals on 38 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss at the Garden in which he may not have been the prime culprit but could not do enough to win it. The Bulgarian-born netminder has recorded three straight starts with a .800, .875 and .868 save percentage, respectively.<\/p>\n

Here they are, 2-4-2 in their first eight games, unable to protect leads in the third period, and lo and behold the Rangers do not have a No. 1 goaltender. At this moment, and it is still so early, even as the coach notes the club has \u201ctwo good goaltenders,\u201d there is no heir apparent to the King.<\/p>\n

\"Penguins'
Penguins\u2019 Kasperi Kapanen scores a goal on Alexandar Georgiev during the Rangers\u2019 5-4 overtime loss.<\/figcaption>
AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Georgiev yielded the tying goal at 9:20 of the third on a rebound put in on a second try off the post by Jake Guentzel. There have been too many loose rebounds yielded by Georgiev, who seems unsettled and haphazard rather than economical and in command.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure Georgie would like one or two back,\u201d said Quinn in what is becoming a familiar refrain.<\/p>\n

The Rangers have held third-period leads in four of their past five games. They have blown the leads in each one, managing to win one in overtime while losing one in regulation and two in overtime \u2014 this one coming on Sidney Crosby\u2019s drive from the slot at 2:27 with Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad working on two-minute shifts.<\/p>\n

The Blueshirts have not scored a third-period goal in their past five games, either, outscored 5-0. Perhaps the team lacks the mental discipline or commitment to carry their plan through 60 minutes. Perhaps they are not getting enough critical, game-saving stops that were so routine for the better part of a decade-and-a-half. The Rangers are not playing winning hockey.<\/p>\n

This was a scrambly affair with scads of wide-open ice. Maybe that seduced the Rangers into trying to get by with a brand of pond hockey in the third period, and not a very good brand, at that. The Penguins, who played with five defensemen after Kris Letang left the match midway through the first period, were in control for the final 20 minutes of regulation after hanging on through much of the first 40 minutes.<\/p>\n

This display seemed to infuriate Chris Kreider, who had his most imposing game of the year.<\/p>\n

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