1st Period:

• Dustin Brown (7) ASST: Tyler Toffoli (8), Matt Roy (5)

2nd Period:

• Tyler Toffoli (7) ASST: Matt Roy (6), Michael Amadio (6)

3rd Period:

• PPG – Artemi Panarin (15) ASST: Chris Kreider (8), Kaapo Kakko (8)
• EN – Adrian Kempe (4) ASST: Blake Lizotte (8)

Stats:

David Quinn’s post game comments (NYR, MSG)

• Did you need to put more pucks on net, “yea, for sure. Give them credit, once they got up 1-0 they did a good job of clogging up the middle of the ice and they are big and strong and make it difficult to get to the middle of the rink and their goalie made some big saves too. I thought on 3-4 different occasions it looked like we were getting one and we didn’t and that might have loosened him up a bit but the way the game evolved that it really played into their hands. They go up 1-0, unfortunately score a goal late in the 1st period – I thought we had a good first, were ready to play and give them a lot of credit they managed the game well.”
• Was there frustration after the first, “Yea, not too bad though, they knew we had 40 minutes to go and we had some good chances to score in the first period. Our PP looked good on the first PP we had, I don’t think we were demoralized by any stretch of the imagination but when you face that neutral zone forecheck you have to have a bit of slash support and go get pucks and be hard on them and we didn’t do that enough.”
• On the chances in the first, “a few from Kakko, Howden had an unreal chance, Mika had a couple of looks on the PP. Chytil had one that was a golden opportunity. We had our chances, not enough, but we had chances.”
• On the game, “right now it’s frustration because we thought it was an opportunity to build on what we did the other day, and we were ready to play, this wasn’t a stinker, what we have seen before, but not good enough.”
• On this game not being a stinker, “at the end of the day your record is what it is and usually evens out, probably the hockey gods righting wrongs.”
• On the LA style of play, “it’s hard for us, they are big and strong. When you look at our roster we are not a heavy team so it makes it difficult for us. They play with an edge and are very well coached and structured. When they get up 1-0 they do a great job managing the game, give them a lot of credit, they did a lot of good things.”
• On his conversation with the ref in the third, “it was a general conversation.”
• On LA’s first goal, “we have to manage the shift a little better, end of a period, they have already been out there for about 35 seconds, it is a little bit of an odd-man rush. If you are going to join the rush you better have enough energy to come back…and we got caught.”

Adam Rotter:

• In some ways this was the opposite of the Vegas game where the Rangers started slow, scored late and then played a much better 2nd and 3rd period. The Rangers had a great start in LA, had numerous chances to score, had a great PP and had the puck in the Kings’ end for most of the period. One big flurry by LA late in the period and the Rangers end the first down 1-0. The Rangers were outplayed in the second period and when the Kings went up 2-0 they were able to clamp down even more with their 1-3-1 and neutral zone trap.
• It was a game that would have been different if the Rangers would have been able to capitalize on their first period chances and forced LA to play from behind. Things would have likely opened up a bit for the Rangers by playing with a lead but they couldn’t do it.
• Quick was terrific in the first and stopped a bunch of “A” level opportunities but the Rangers still passed up numerous chance to shoot. Their desire to hold onto pucks and not put them toward the net isn’t a new issue but it’s one that is holding this team back as they look for consistency.
• For his first start in over a week and first start since dealing with some back issues, Henrik Lundqvist was pretty good. He didn’t have much of a chance on the first goal, where the Rangers were pinned in their zone. The second one he’d probably like back but that isn’t how it works. I’d expect Lundqvist to start against the Sharks and if he wins start against Anaheim as well. Alex Georgiev would likely start following the trip against Nashville on Monday.