DENVER — This was the type of game that exposed the deficiencies in the Rangers’ lineup.
Going up against the NHL-leading Avalanche, the Rangers may have been able to keep it close thanks to some timely scoring and goalie Igor Shesterkin’s heroics, but the discrepancy between the two clubs was apparent in their empty-net abetted 6-3 loss Thursday night.
The Blueshirts actually took the lead twice against a Colorado team that has yet to lose in regulation at home this season.
When it came down to the pivotal moments, however, the Avalanche had the game-breaking talent to distinctly separate themselves.
“That’s definitely the best team that we’ve played all year, and they might be the best team in the league right now with how explosive they are,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the loss, which extended Colorado’s win streak to seven games with a league-best 33 points. “There were just critical moments in the game where we’ve got to just do a better job managing.”
Coming out on the right side of the special teams battle still wasn’t enough to be the difference for the Rangers. In addition to captain J.T. Miller capitalizing on both of the Rangers’ power plays, the Avs only scored on one of their five man-advantage opportunities.
Still, skating nearly 12 minutes shorthanded did the Rangers zero favors.
Exactly 30 seconds after Miller scored his second power-play goal of the game to even the score at three-all, Nathan MacKinnon backhanded a rebound off the post to notch his second goal of the night and regain the one-goal lead for his team in the third period.
The Avalanche simply had more difference makers than the Rangers.
“I feel like we could have maybe had one or two more power plays,” Mika Zibanejad said. “Just got to do a better job staying out of the box, obviously. But power play came through in a way, so that’s a positive that we can take with us.”
The Rangers’ power play immediately rebounded from an 0-for-2 showing in Vegas with a beautiful goal early in the game.
Working the puck around the zone seconds into the man advantage, Zibanejad one-timed a feed from Adam Fox to Miller at the back post. The Rangers captain tapped it in with ease to take a 1-0 lead just 2:26 minutes into the game.
A D-zone turnover from Artemi Panarin, however, capped the opening 20 minutes on a sour note for the Rangers and a historical note for MacKinnon and the Avs. The goal pushed MacKinnon ahead of Peter Stastny on the franchise points leaderboard for second all time.
Adam Edstrom, who was back in the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch in Vegas, was later rewarded for his hustle early in the second period.
Banging home a feed from Sam Carrick off the rush, Edstrom registered his first goal of the season and gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
The rest of the period belonged to the Avs.
The home team limited the Rangers to just four shots on goal in the middle frame, while unloading 14 on Shesterkin.
A goal felt like it was coming all period long and it finally did at the 17:15 mark, when Cale Makar stuffed in a wraparound to make it a 2-2 game.
“Shot ourselves in the foot a few times with some of the goals,” Fox said. “Just didn’t sustain enough O-zone [time]. They were kind of having a couple long [shifts] in there, and it kind of kills the rhythm, especially in the second period.”
